Where Love Lies
by KS4EVA
Summary: Stephanie loves her career and family. When one comes into conflict with the other, it begins to affect her husband in a way that shakes their relationship to the core. Triple H/Steph fic Chp 40 up! Please R
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter One

"Why don't you come to bed?" Paul whispered in Stephanie's ear as he approached her from behind and gave her a kiss on the neck.

It was Sunday night and Steph was trying to work on the script for Monday Night RAW in her home office. It wasn't the first time that she was rewriting the show's script for the second time. In fact, it wasn't unusual for Vince and Stephanie to rewrite the entire script hours before the show.

"Come on Steph, close the laptop and come to bed with me. Aurora's down for the night and we haven't had time for us all week." Paul said pulling Steph's rolling chair away from the desk where she was working.

"I'll come to bed in a little while, honey. I want to try and finish this script. I have so much to do. You know, my job is supposed to be managing all the writers and simply putting the script together, not writing the whole damn thing. Someone needs to be fired." Steph replied as she leaned forward scooting her rolling chair back up to the desk. She didn't take her eyes off the laptop screen. She hadn't even stopped typing.

"Am I going to have to pick you up and carry you to bed? Here, I'll tell you what to write. Give Shawn and me another DX segment cracking jokes about how much your dad loves cock. Throw some midcard filler matches in there and top the night off with me kicking John Cena's ass in a tag match. I'm thinking, Shawn and I versus Cena and Jericho. Of course I have to win the match. I'm thinking I should go over Jericho. He's been really full of himself lately…Don't know who he thinks he is…" Paul muttered before spinning Stephanie around to face him.

"Do you want to do my job?" Stephanie asked with a chuckle smiling back at the man she loved. She hated it when Paul over simplified the writing process. He never understood what went into creating the shows. Paul was standing there in his briefs with his hands on both of the arm rests of her chair.

"No, I want my wife in my bed…Now." Paul demanded with a cute smirk as if he was a little boy wanting a piece of candy before dinner.

"Well I'm sorry but I have to finish this. Dad will be expecting it. All little boys have to be patient if they want their dessert." Stephanie said with a naughty smile raising an eyebrow. She gave Paul a peck on the lips before turning back around to continue her work.

"To hell with what Vince wants, I want my wife now." Paul said before quickly grabbing Stephanie and lifting her out of the chair and to her feet.

"Paul! I have work to do! Hey!" Stephanie hollered trying to keep Paul from untying her robe. They kissed a few times before Paul's lips traveled down her neck. Levesque's muscular arms were already around her as he used them to pick her up over his shoulder.

"Paul, I'm serious!"

"Shh, if you keep yelling you're going to wake up Aurora. And if that happens we won't be able to do anything." Paul whispered as he carried his wife out of the office and into the hallway.

"Shit, I just stubbed my damn toe on that damn ugly statue your parents gave us!" He hollered causing Steph to burst out laughing.

It had been a while since the last time Paul had carried her to the bedroom. Most of the romance and spontaneity had become scarce in their marriage since they had little Aurora. Everything had become routine now all on a fixed schedule. Life wasn't just about them and World Wrestling Entertainment anymore. It was about their one year old daughter. Aurora was by far the best thing that had happened to either of them individually as well as them as a couple. She was the light of their lives. Her infectious baby belly laugh would make any huge mess she made the funniest thing in the world to her parents. Even at the mere age of one, Aurora Rose had her Mommy and Daddy wrapped around her little finger. They put her before everything else, even their own need to be together.

"Mama!"

"Oh no, I did it. I woke her up." Paul muttered leaning against the wall in the hallway. He still had his wife suspended over his shoulder.

"Maybe she'll go back to sleep." Stephanie suggested. She listened for Aurora's voice, hoping that she had gone back to sleep.

"Mama! Daddy!" Aurora cried out before she started crying.

"Not a chance." Paul said. His voice was full of disappointment as he gently set his wife back on her feet. Steph fixed her robe that had gotten disheveled when her husband picked her up. Levesque looked at his wife longingly as she retied her silk red robe. He couldn't help but think of all the great things they would be doing now if not for Aurora waking up.

"Do you want to go settle her back down or should I?" Steph asked looking into her husband's brilliant hazel eyes.

"You go ahead. I think I want to go ice my toe." Paul muttered looking down at his throbbing big toe.

"Are you okay?" Steph asked sympathetically before bringing her hands to his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Go take care of Aurora before she decides to climb out of the crib like last time." Paul replied taking her hands off his face and pointing toward the nursery.

"Okay…You're right. I don't want her hurting herself like last time." She said before walking down the hall toward Aurora's nursery and way from her husband.

Paul stood in the hallway alone with his aching toe. It was yet another romantic encounter gone awry. Once again, it was going to be another night where he fell asleep waiting for Stephanie to return from the nursery. He missed Steph. Before they had a child, she was just his wife. Stephanie had all the time in the world to spend with him outside of the world of wrestling. Now, Paul found himself competition for her attention with his one year old daughter. Stephanie wasn't just Mrs. Paul Levesque. She was now Aurora Rose Levesque's mother.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Two

"Hey Pop!" Stephanie exclaimed in a cheery tone of voice as she walked little Aurora into one of the backstage rooms at the area to see her grandfather.

"Hey, look who's here, my two little girls!" Vince said in his booming voice that made Aurora smile as she toddled into the room with her mother. She knew her grandfather's voice and loved his charismatic ways. He was a larger than life character especially around his one and only granddaughter.

"Come on, come here and see your pop." Vince said in his sweet grandpa voice that he only used for Aurora. Aurora let go of her mother's hand and ventured across the room on her own to see Vince.

"Oh you're getting so big." Vince commented as he picked up little Aurora. "Steph, I want to make some script changes before the preshow conference. The main event isn't what I had in mind."

"Yeah, I rushed the end a little bit. Aurora was really fussy last night. She woke up around eleven and I couldn't get her back to sleep until about three in the morning. I think she might be fighting off something. She didn't have a fever." Stephanie explained while she rummaged through her work satchel for her printed copy of the RAW script and a pencil.

"I want to go for a big main event tonight. We really need to hit this one out of the park. Fatal four way: Triple H vs. Chris Jericho vs. John Cena vs. Randy Orton. I want Paul to put over Orton." Vince told his daughter before she was even able to pull out the script.

"Why do you want Paul to put Orton over? Why don't we have Jericho lose the match? He's an establish veteran who will further Randy's credibility as a possible number one contender for Cena's title." Steph remarked. She was questioning her father's motive for making her husband lose to the third generation wrestler, Randy Orton.

"I want it to seem like Orton is a credible number one contender for Cena's title. We've had John holding onto the belt for months now. In order to keep the PPV buy rates up, the fans have to actually buy into the fact that Randy Orton has a chance of walking out of No Mercy with the WWE title. What better way to establish that by having him pin the King of Kings, Triple H?"

Steph used her pencil to slowly cross out her typed out main event. She didn't dare question her father's creative direction but she wondered if having Paul job in the main event against the younger talent would be hurting his reputation as the six time world champion. While Triple H was now seen as a veteran in the ring, he was still a major draw in the company. Was it really a good move for their company to start putting stock into their younger talent over the proven money makers like Triple H?

"Hey Paul, how was your weekend?" Shawn asked when his long time friend and tag team partner entered the top stars dressing room.

"I've had better…" Levesque muttered tossing his duffle bag on one of the wooden benches.

"You want to talk about it?" Shawn Michaels offered while he began to lace up his wrestling boots.

Paul was quiet for a moment as if he didn't hear his friend's offer to listen to his problems. It wasn't until the contents of his black duffle bag were emptied out onto the bench that he decided to open his mouth and share his frustrations.

"I've never been so hard up in my life. I finally got Steph to tear herself away from her work so that we could have sex and then the damn baby woke up. It's like I can't catch one break." Paul said as he plopped down onto the bench next to Shawn.

"Hey man, that happens when you have kids. Wait until you have more than one. It's like the more kids you have the less private time you and the missus get to spend together. It's worth it though. I wouldn't trade my Cameron and little Cheyenne for the world." Shawn admitted looking down at his bracelet design the tattoo on his wrist that spelled the name of his son.

"Yeah, I love my little girl. It's just Steph completely throws herself into her work. It didn't bother me as much before we had Aurora. We had the weekends to be together but now it's almost like she's all about working and taking care of the baby. I'm the afterthought and it pisses me off. I mean, I'm a man, I have certain needs." Paul complained tossing an empty water bottle across the room.

"Alright, so plan a weekend where it's just you and Steph. I'm sure that either Vince and Linda or your parents would be glad to watch Aurora. You could make it all romantic: roses, candles, the whole shooting match." Michaels suggested.

Paul pondered his friend's idea while chewing his white mint gum over and over again. Slowly he began to nod his head in approval. It sounded like a good idea. He and Stephanie hadn't had a romantic weekend alone in a long time.

"That's a good idea. I should surprise her with it. I'll ask my parents or my sister to watch Aurora. On Friday night, I'll surprise her with the idea. Steph's always loved romantic surprises." Paul said with a smile.

"Yeah, I mean, you've got nothing to lose with trying it, right?"

"The way I'm feeling now, I doubt my week could get any shittier. You don't know what being sex deprived does to me." Levesque muttered before fixing his dirty blonde ponytail.

"Hey honey, we've got to talk." Steph said walking into the locker room. The door had been open since it was still early before the show and none of the guys were getting dressed in their gear yet.

"What's up?" Paul replied scratching his beard with his right hand.

"It's about the show tonight. Dad rewrote the main event. It's going to be a fatal four way: you vs. Orton vs. Cena vs. Jericho."

"Wow, that's quite a match. Why is he going all the way out for a RAW show? It's not even the last show before No Mercy." Paul said completely curious about Vince's motives.

"I think Dad's a little upset about the recent dip in the ratings. TNA did a 1.1 last week and that company has only been around since 2002. You know how paranoid Dad can be." Steph explained as she rolled her eyes at her father's worry.

"Who am I going over tonight?" Paul asked.

"Umm well, Dad wants you to put Orton over to build him up as the number one contender." Steph replied quietly. She knew that she was telling her husband something he didn't want to hear.

"What?" Paul asked standing up. He thought that maybe he had heard his wife wrong. Every once in a while Paul would put over the younger talent, but it was when he wanted to do so.

"It's what Dad wants. I'm sure he'll make it up to you next week. I'll make sure that Triple H gets a rematch with Orton next week. We can book you and Shawn fighting Orton and Jericho. You can get your win over him then." Steph replied, trying her best to make her husband feel better about her father's decision.

"Fine Steph, whatever, this is just what I need this week. I need to go get some air; it's stuffy as hell in here." Paul said holding his hands up to signal that he was through with the conversation.

"Is he okay, Shawn?" Steph asked watching her husband storm out of the locker room.

"He's fine, just having a rough week. Don't worry, he'll come around."

Stephanie was taken aback by her husband's reaction to jobbing the main event. While it was no secret that Paul took great pride in Triple H being one of the most decorated wrestlers in the business, he had never copped such an attitude when he was asked to put a guy over before. Maybe something was bothering him? Could it be a lack of sleep? Aurora had been up last night crying and whining. Maybe a weekend of relaxation was in order. Work was starting to get monotonous for the both of them. It was the same work load week in and week out. The Levesques needed a break and Stephanie had the perfect plan in mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Three

Paul ran his hand through his long damp hair stepping down the metal stairs from the stage curtain to the backstage hallway. His body glistened with perspiration from the intense ring work. He never liked having to sell his opponents' finishers and having to lay there on the canvas while a referee counted the 1.2.3. It was part of job though. Or was it?

It was no secret that Paul Levesque received many perks since he became involved with Stephanie McMahon that none of other wrestlers could ever hope to have: use of the corporate jet, sitting in on the creative meetings, and even the McMahon's ear for all the creative freedom of Triple H that he could ever hope to have. Why now was he having to job to the younger talent?

"We can't win them all, huh?" Shawn said giving his younger friend a pat on the back. The Heartbreak Kid could tell that his friend was bothered by Vince's decision.

Levesque scowled not bothering to answer Shawn's light hearted question. He wasn't in the mood for joking around. Unlike Shawn Michaels, Paul knew he was still in his prime. He still had more title reigns ahead of him in his career while HBK's number of years left in the business was much fewer. Paul wasn't ready for Triple H to stand aside for the younger talent just yet.

"You looked great in the ring tonight, honey." Steph complimented her husband as she followed him into their black and red deluxe travel bus with Aurora in tow.

"I feel like shit…" He replied not bothering to even glance in Steph's direction as Aurora began whining to be put down on her feet. "I'm going to go get a shower."

"Daddy! Daddy Dada dada?" Aurora called out on the verge of tears as she followed her father with a stuffed bear carried firmly in her right fist. She wasn't feeling well. Little Aurora almost fell backwards when the thin wooden door to the bedroom area of the bus closed before she could follow her father any further. Paul was in his own little world of thought.

"Come here sweetheart, Daddy's just being grumpy tonight. I'll see if I can cheer him up. I think you're over tired." Steph said sweetly picking up her child.

She held Aurora close and opened the door that had been shut. The sound of the shower running was evident when she walked through the door and to the left where Aurora's tiny nursery was set up. The nursery on the tour bus was considerably small unlike her room at home. It consisted only of a crib and changing table with not much room for anything else.

Gently, Stephanie laid Aurora Rose in the crib. She was already in her pajamas. Steph had found that it was easiest to put Aurora in her pjs during the show that way all she had to do was lay her baby down once they returned to the tour bus. Aurora babbled a bit bringing her small teddy bear to her rose red cheek. Her mother leaned down and gently kissed her.

Paul stood under the steady stream of water washing the sweat and grime from his body. The hot water beating down on his muscular frame relaxed his tired muscles. A steamy hot shower was just what Levesque needed to unwind from the stresses in his life. It was his only escape at the moment and it was welcomed.

Steph walked into the bathroom area and saw her husband in the shower. She didn't know why he was in such a funk. It really was unlike him. Paul was normally very easy going. It would take a lot for him to get upset. What was going on with him? She had to do something to lighten the mood. Silently, she crept to the sink and used a small drinking glass to collect a cup of cold water. Stephanie smiled deviously as she stood on her tippy toes and raised her arm above her head with the glass of water.

"What the hell? God damn it!" Paul yelled jumping out of the shower after having the cold water poured on him. Steph started laughing after she watched her muscular man bolt out of the hot shower and begin to towel off.

"What the hell is the matter with you, huh? Why don't you grow up? Get some damn maturity!" Paul yelled toweling himself off.

"Oh come on, don't be a Grinch. You did the same thing to me on our honeymoon. How soon you forget when the shoe is on the other foot." Steph laughed.

"What is with you? You know I've had a shitty day! I wanted to come back to the bus take a hot shower and go the hell to bed!" Paul barked wrapping the towel around his waist. He left Steph in the bath room.

"Oh shit…" Steph muttered when she heard her daughter screaming and crying.

Paul didn't care that his hair was still damp when he laid down on the double bed in gray boxers. After a few light punches to his pillow, he closed his eyes and tried to rest. He had about had it with the day's events. He didn't think there could be anything else that could further pick at his patience. He was wrong.

"Aurora's burning up. She keeps pulling on her ears. I think she might have an ear infection." Steph reported to Paul as Aurora screamed and cried. Steph was looking at Paul waiting for him to reply.

"Mama!" Aurora cried out through tears as she placing her hand on Steph's face and turning it to face her. She then laid her head down on Steph's shoulder nuzzling her face into her mommy's neck.

"If it's an ear infection we'll have to take her to the doctor tomorrow. Give her some over the counter medicine and lay her down for the night." Paul replied in a yawn.

"I already gave her some liquid Tylenol. She's miserable. My poor baby girl…" Steph said softly her voice full of worry. She hated seeing her child suffering. She couldn't just lay her down in her crib when Aurora so desperately looking for comfort from her.

"Steph, please, honey, could you just go somewhere else with her? I need to get some rest." Paul muttered not bothering to open his eyes.

"What? You don't think I'm tired? You don't think I would like to lay down? I've been up since five! I'm sorry if this is an inconvenience for you, but this is our child!" Steph hollered rocking around in her arms as she paced back and forth the width of the bus.

"Come on Steph! Give me a break! This has nothing to do with the baby."

"Well you tell me what it's about because you've been acting like a huge asshole all day! This is so out of character for you!" Steph replied back with the same volume as she held a hand to her child's ear as Aurora continued to cry.

"Gee Steph, let's see what's been bothering me, we haven't had sex for weeks now, and Triple H now looks like a complete chump being pinned by who Vince considers to be the "future" of this business. Future my ass! I can't even relax in my own God damn luxury bus anymore without constant crying and whining!" Paul hollered completely blowing his stack. He threw a pillow across the small bedroom to put an exclamation mark on what he was saying.

Aurora arched her back and cried out. Tears were running down her face while she pulled on her left ear. Her parents screaming at each other only further upset her. Steph fell silent and pulled her baby back close to her. She couldn't believe how quickly they had slipped into an argument. It was so unlike them as a couple. It was rare that they ever got into a screaming match with one another. Any disagreements they had would usually be taken care of with rationalization.

"I don't know what's going on with you but I don't like it at all. When you see my husband, Paul Levesque, you tell him that his wife and baby daughter are staying overnight at the Hilton and flying back home to Greenwich tomorrow with Mom and Dad." Stephanie said calmly as she could. Her voice was still shaking. Paul couldn't tell if she was about to cry or explode with anger.

"Steph? Steph come back! Steph?" Paul called out. He realized that he had lost his temper and lashed out on his wife. It was too late. The bus had come to a stop and Steph was collecting her and Aurora's things in a small overnight bag and got off.

Paul sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He leaned over, placing his hands in his face. He had really done it now. Just when Paul believed that things couldn't get any worse today, he had managed to lose his temper with Stephanie. It never should have happened.

She didn't do anything to him. Steph was just trying to be a loving wife and mother. Her attempt to cheer him up had been done with good intention. Steph was right; he had pulled the very same prank on her when they were honeymooning in Hawaii. Of course then things were going great. They were newlyweds just starting their married life together. They could make love whenever they wanted and weren't interrupted by a screaming baby.

Everything was changing and Paul wasn't sure if it was for the better. He was now not only losing his wife's love and attention but also his father-in-law's trust in him to be the one who increases the ratings. The romantic weekend that Paul first thought would help them was now vital. Being alone for a weekend without the pressures of work and parenthood could be just what Paul and Stephanie needed to smooth over their recent tiff.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Four

"You should try and easy up on him, Stephanie. Paul's probably still getting used to being a father. He's under stress." Vince told his daughter while they sat on the company jet that was Greenwich bound.

"And I'm not, Dad? I am under more stress than he could ever imagine! Between taking care of Aurora twenty four-seven and work, I barely have anytime for myself much less him! Instead of copping an attitude, he could ask me if I needed help with our child!" Steph quickly barked back. Her voice showing her frustration as leaned over Aurora's baby seat to check on her.

"Maybe you should try telling him how you feel, honey. Maybe you need to sit down with him and talk it out. Paul loves you. He's just not use to balancing the role of husband and father yet. Give him time." Linda explained.

Steph wondered how much time Paul was going to need before he started to come around and start acting like his old self. What puzzled her most was the fact that they were doing just fine as a couple up until the last few weeks. When Aurora first came into their lives she helped to strengthen their love for one another. Now, it seemed, Aurora's presence was driving a wedge between them. It wasn't Aurora's fault though. She was merely a one year old baby who needed the amount of love and care that all children that age do. Why couldn't Paul understand that? Why was he making such a big deal out of having to job a match? It was really ridiculous, to be so upset over a pre-scripted match that you completely ignore your own flesh and blood who is calling after you wanting attention. Steph didn't understand it at all. She could only tend to her sick baby girl as the jet prepared for landing.

Stephanie didn't bother stopping at home. She wasn't ready to see her husband which she knew she would have had to do if she did stop by the house before Aurora's doctor's appointment. By the time she was done taking Aurora to the doctor, he would be at his photo shoot. His behavior the night before was so unbelievably selfish. So unlike her usual sweet and caring Paul she had fallen in love with.

"She's been so miserable. I spent most of last night rocking her in my arms. She would scream and cry anytime I would try to lay her down." Stephanie told the pediatrician while he examined little Aurora's ears with an octoscope.

"She has an ear infection. Pressure builds up in the ears when you lay her down on her back." He replied still examining Aurora's left ear. Tears stained her little face as she whined and tried to put her finger in her other ear.

Steph couldn't help but think back to last night. She remembered how Paul wanted her to put Aurora back to bed once she gave her medicine. That would have been so painful for her. Stephanie was so thankful that she didn't ignore her mothering instinct. Having an ear infection, Aurora needed the comfort that her mom gave her.

"I'll write you a prescription for some antibiotic liquid. She'll take one teaspoon twice a day for a week. That should knock it out."

"I won't be in the office today. Aurora is sick with an ear infection. Paul has a Maxim photo shoot today so he can't watch her. He'll be back tonight though. Yeah, you can just email or fax me anything you need me to see. Bye." Steph told her assistant over her cell phone as she pulled into her mansion's driveway.

"Come on, sweetheart. Mom will make you some breakfast and give you your medicine." Steph said to her daughter in a loving voice as she lifted her out of car seat.

"Dadda? Daddy? Dadadada." Aurora babbled when she saw her father's red hummer parked in front of the house. She knew her daddy's car and associated it with him.

"Daddy's not home, sweetie. He took a limo to get his picture taken." Steph replied as Aurora rested her head on her shoulder.

Stephanie entered the house through the front door. She shifted Aurora to her other hip before walking down the long hallway to the kitchen. Her overnight bag was still in her car. She was waiting to bring it in once she got Aurora settled.

"Dat?" Aurora asked pointing at a beautiful bouquet of red roses and a pink teddy bear that was sitting on one of the kitchen counters with a note.

Stephanie's face lit up with excitement and surprise when she saw the breathtakingly beautiful arrangement of roses. This was obviously Paul's attempt to apologize for his behavior last night. She has happy that he recognized that his behavior toward her and Aurora was wrong. Maybe if he got home early tonight they could go out to a nice sit down restaurant as a family. She handed Aurora the teddy bear before picking up the note to read it.

_Stephanie,_

_I'm so sorry about last night. I acted like a complete asshole and you and Aurora had every right to walk out on me. I've been under a lot of stress lately with certain changes in the business but that's no excuse for me to treat the two of you like that. You and Aurora are everything to me. Without you, I am incomplete. I'm sorry but the Maxim photo shoot is going to be more extensive than we thought. I will be in New York for the next three days. I'll be back Friday night. Give my little angel a kiss for me and tell her that when she hugs her teddy bear, she is really hugging her daddy. I hope you enjoy your flower arrangement. I'll call you later tonight._

_I love you always and forever,_

_Paul  
_

Paul was so eloquent with words. Steph was so happy that Paul took notice of her leaving last night. Her biggest fear had been that he wouldn't see her view of the situation. She had been afraid that he would be selfish enough to allow her and the baby to stay with her parents without apologizing and asking her to come back. But he did. He had taken the time to pick out beautiful roses and a sweet little pink teddy bear to show how sorry he was. He loved and cared about her. With all his faults, he was still the same Paul Levesque she had married.

Stephanie's smile had faded when she read that Paul was staying in New York for the rest of the week. She had hoped that they could spend time together for the next few days. It had been weeks since they were able to have quality time as a family. Now it was just going to be her and Aurora for the rest of the week. Oh well, Steph still had the weekend to look forward too. She still wanted to do something special. A few days apart would surely make Paul miss spending time with his wife and baby. The way his note sounded, he already did.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Five

"Hey, how is the little angel doing?" Vince asked his daughter when she entered his office pushing a sleeping Aurora in her stroller.

"She's been sleeping a lot. I think she's fighting off the infection." Stephanie replied sitting down in one of the chairs that faced her father's desk. It was Wednesday and she was meeting with him down at corporate for a short one on one meeting to make sure they were on the same page about where the storylines were going.

"I hope she feels better by this weekend. Poor sleeping little angel." Vince said in his grandpa voice looking down at the sleeping baby.

"I'm sure she will be. You wanted to talk to me about something? If it's about where we want to go next week with Randy Orton, Paul already told me that he would like to get a win over him since Orton went over him on Monday." Stephanie told her father. She always made her husband's storyline requests known if Paul wasn't there at a meeting to speak for himself.

"That's fine but actually, Steph, I was thinking about putting Paul on SmackDown. Our SmackDown ratings are starting to suffer. I think Paul's star power could help. It would give him some new guys to feud with." Vince explained.

"I don't know if he's going to go for that. I think Paul wants to stay on RAW and in the WWE title picture. Isn't there anyone else you could send to SmackDown?" Steph asked. She knew her husband's brand preference. It was common knowledge backstage that RAW was the best show to be on while SmackDown was the second rate show.

"No I want him there. We have to make it clear to the fans that we are giving attention to all our shows and not just RAW. If they start believing that RAW is the only show to watch, we'll be in trouble. I need him to lead the SmackDown locker room. I'm sure he'll understand. If he doesn't, I'll be happy to talk to him about it this weekend. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay. I'm sure it will be fine. You know Paul loves the business. He'll do whatever needs to be done to help out." Stephanie said assuring her father. She didn't want her dad to think any less of his son-in-law. It had been Paul's dedication to their business that Vince related to.

"Great, thanks for being so understanding, honey. You better get home with sleeping beauty. I want her to get better." Vince said quietly giving his daughter a hug goodbye.

It was then that Stephanie realized that her father had asked her to meet him just to tell her that Paul was going to be drafted to SmackDown. She wasn't going to question her father. Of course he knew what he was doing. She just wondered how she was going to explain it to Paul. She knew his stand on being a RAW superstar. She would have to wait until she could tell him about it in person.

The week had marched on as usual. Steph carried on with her daily duties from home while she took care of Aurora helping her get over the ear infection. She had been so preoccupied with work and motherhood that the week just flew by and it was time for Paul to come home. Thank God, while the week flew by, Stephanie couldn't help but miss Paul. She could never get used to 

not seeing him every day. It reminded her of when she had to be on SmackDown as the General Manager while he was on RAW. Oh well, it wasn't like this was an every week occurrence. The photo shoots were a once in a while thing.

"Steph, I'm home!" Paul announced as soon as he walked through the front door. He was dressed in one of his fresh pressed suits. Levesque dropped his suitcase at the foot of the grand staircase and made his way into the kitchen where he saw the light on.

"I'm so glad your home in time for the weekend! I missed you all week!" Steph said with a smile as she hugged her husband tight. It felt great being in his big strong arms once again. While he had called her every night he was away, it still wasn't the same as seeing her love face to face.

"I haven't been gone that long. Where's Aurora?" He asked letting go of the embrace.

"She's asleep. She finally kicked the ear infection. I'm so happy she's feeling better." Steph commented as she dished out some of the food she had cooked onto a plate.

"I'm glad she's feeling better. Now you don't have to feel bad about going away for the weekend. I want us to." Paul whispered walking up behind his wife as he moved her hair off her neck so that he could kiss it.

"I was thinking the same thing. I already talked to Mom and Dad. We're going to have a family weekend at their beach house in Florida. Now that Aurora's a little older, she can enjoy the sand and the water." Steph explained as she continued to serve the food and clean up the kitchen.

"That's not what I had in mind…" Paul muttered backing away from his wife. "I thought you and I would go away for the weekend and leave Aurora with my mom and dad."

Stephanie looked surprised. She didn't realize that Paul wanted to go away without their daughter. They had just become a family a year ago. The idea of taking a family vacation to visit her parents really sounded great. Even Shane and Marissa were going to be there with Declan and Kenny. It was going to be a family affair.

"I don't want to leave Aurora. She's just getting over being sick. We haven't been together as a family all week. It's important that Aurora spends time with both of us. She hasn't seen her daddy all week. She misses you." Stephanie finally said turning to face her husband.

"But we haven't spent time together as a couple for even longer. I miss us. I miss our romantic weekend getaways. My parents love seeing her, it will be good for both of us to have some time to ourselves. We can do the family weekend some other time. I need to be alone with you." Paul whispered pulling Steph close to him.

"Paul, I want us to be together as a family this weekend. It's important to me. I don't know when you are going to figure out that it's not just about us anymore. It's not about are needs. It's about what's best for Aurora. And right now, leaving her with your parents for two days isn't a good idea." Stephanie explained calmly as she backed away.

"Besides, Dad wants to talk to you about the upcoming draft lottery…" Stephanie added nonchalantly turning back around so that her back was facing him.

"What about the draft? If you ask me we should banish Jericho to SmackDown. He'd be a shoe in for that US championship. I mean, he's already happy with just being Intercontinental champion what's the difference, right?" Paul said with a chuckle turning to the refrigerator for something to drink.

"Actually Paul…Dad wants you to go to SmackDown. He needs your help improving the ratings. He wants to make SmackDown on par with RAW."

Paul paused for a moment as he stood there in front of the open refrigerator. It was as if his mind was processing what Stephanie had just told him. And just as quickly as he paused, he snapped back to life with the slam of the refrigerator door. The unexpected noise made Steph jump as Paul walked back over to her.

"When was I going to hear about this, huh? In the fucking company newsletter? Huh?" Paul screamed in her face. His voice was loud and forceful showing his frustration with her father's decision. This was the final straw after all the frustrations from the beginning of the week and the nixed romantic weekend.

"Paul please, you're going to wake up the baby. Please don't be this way." Steph pleaded with tears in her eyes. She couldn't stand it when he behaved this way. It was so unlike the man she married. She had fallen in love with his optimistic attitude, quick wit, and humorous charm.

"That's what it's always going to be about now, isn't it Steph! Aurora and what your father wants! What about what I want! I went through the trouble of calling my parents to ask them if they could watch the baby! I thought that maybe we could have a weekend to get away from all the bullshit around us! You won't even give me a weekend! I go away for a week and your father gets the idea to cast me off to SmackDown! SmackDown, Stephanie? Has your father lost his damn mind?" He screamed getting in Steph's face. His body language was causing Stephanie to back up against the kitchen counter island.

"We can still have a weekend together. We'll be together in Florida. I'm sure Mom and Dad will look after Aurora for one of the nights. It will be just like old times…Let's just eat dinner, okay? You and Dad can talk all this out. Please calm down." Steph whispered placing her hand on Paul's chest as it rose and fell. He was really seething.

"You know how serious I take my character. Why didn't you tell him to send Jericho or Edge over to SmackDown? Why does Triple H have to go? Is this punishment for what happened Monday night? I apologized to you…"Paul said his voice low as he tried to keep his anger in check.

"No, honey, this has nothing to do with what happened. I love that you apologized. The roses were beautiful and Aurora loved her bear. This is just Dad's idea. Now come on, let's not let this spoil our dinner. I made your favorite." Stephanie said sweetly as she offered Paul a plate of food.

He looked down at his favorite dish that his wife had taken the time to make from scratch just for him because he loved it. She had envisioned a romantic Friday night dinner with the man she loved. It was all she wanted after a hectic week, to spend the rest of the night and then the weekend with the love of her life.

"I'm not hungry…I'm sorry, I just can't be here right now. I think I should take the weekend to cool down. You and Aurora go to Florida with your parents." Paul muttered backing away from his wife.

"Paul, no, I want you to be there. We're a family. Aurora and I love you. Who cares if Dad wants to put you on SmackDown? You shouldn't let it affect you like this." Stephanie said completely crestfallen by the fact that Paul not only didn't want to eat the food but didn't want to come with her to Florida.

"I really think it's best if I just stay here by myself. I have to get back on my weightlifting schedule. I completely slacked off this week. You and Aurora enjoy the beach." Paul replied avoiding his wife's tear filled eyes.

Steph used her hands to wipe the tears from her eyes. She had been waiting for him to take her into her arms and console her. He had done this so many times before when she was upset. It wasn't happening. It was like Paul was in his own little selfish world. He wouldn't even look at her. Stephanie was done with trying to persuade him to go with her and their child to Florida. He obviously wasn't interested in spending time with them.

"Since when is weight lifting more important than me and Aurora? I just want us to be a together…That's all…" Steph whispered through tears before leaving him in the kitchen alone like he wanted.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Six

"You made great time! How is she doing?" Linda asked her daughter when she got out of the limo with Aurora in her arms.

"She's doing great. I think she's completely over the ear infection." Steph replied. She didn't mirror her mother's enthusiasm. She was still very upset over what had transpired last night between her and Paul.

"Where's Paul? I think Dad wanted to talk to him before we go to breakfast. You know your father, the moment he comes to the beach house he's right in the office and that's where he stays the whole weekend." Linda told Steph as she took Aurora from her.

"Paul didn't come. H-he wasn't feeling up to it." Stephanie said grabbing her small suitcase from the limo. It was the best answer that she could think of to tell her mother. What could she have said? That Paul would rather spend the weekend weight lifting than spend it with his wife and baby?

"Not feeling up to it? I thought you said he was in need of a weekend vacation. Is everything okay between you two?" Linda asked suspiciously. She could tell by the way her daughter was acting that there was more to the story then Steph wanted to let on.

"Mom please, I don't want to talk about this right now. I had a seven AM flight and I haven't eaten anything yet."

"You look like you don't feel well. I think something's going around. Marissa is sick so Shane has to cut the weekend short and leave tonight. We have reservations for brunch." Linda explained as he carried Aurora into the beach house while Steph carried her one piece of luggage.

"Is Dad coming?" Steph asked when she saw her father busy on the phone in his study as she walked by.

"No, he's been working nonstop since we came down here. You know how he is. Shane's going to meet us at the restaurant."

Once the McMahon family arrived at the restaurant it was clear to Stephanie that her mother had not called ahead of time to have the restaurant cleared out for their arrival. Many of Florida's most influential people were having brunch with them. This really wasn't a bother since done of the guests even cared to approach Steph, Shane, or Linda while they ate.

"So Steph what's Paul's big excuse for not coming down to Florida? He usually loves coming down for the weekends." Shane asked watching his little sister feed Aurora a small spoonful of table food.

"Steph, you really should have ordered the blueberry pancakes. They really are delicious." Linda quickly commented in order to change the subject that her son had brought up. They were having a nice family meal and the last thing Linda wanted was for Stephanie to get upset.

"Is that who I think it is?" Shane was surprised by who he saw just a few tables away from their table. Linda and Stephanie both turned in the direction that Shane was pointing to see who he was talking about.

"That's Kurt and Karen Angle. I wonder what they are doing here?" Stephanie asked when she saw Kurt sitting with his wife Karen and their two small children. They were eating breakfast just like the McMahon family was.

"They're probably in Florida because Impact is taped in Orlando. We should go over and say hi." Shane said before taking his last bite of food.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea. You know Dad wants nothing to do with Kurt Angle since he left us for TNA." Steph reminded her brother.

"Come on, that was business. You know how Dad always takes business too personal. Angle and I put on the greatest match of my life back in 2001 at King of the Ring." Shane explained getting up from the table.

"Shane's right, Stephanie, the polite and classy thing to do is to go over and say hello." Linda said following her son's lead in standing up.

"Okay, let's go say hello." Steph replied. Reluctantly, she decided that her mother and brother were right. What harm would it cause to say hello to a former employee? Before Kurt went to TNA, Steph had always been friendly with his wife, Karen. Maybe they could put business aside and still be friends. Stephanie knew that it was best not to let her dad know about this chance meeting.

"Hey Kurt and Karen, how are you guys doing?" Steph asked politely when she reached their table with Aurora on her hip.

"Hi Stephanie, we're doing great, thank you. Aww, is that your little girl? She's precious!" Karen gushed taking her son, Kody, out of the wooden restaurant high chair before she stood up.

"Yes, this is Aurora. She turned one in July." Steph replied with a smile looking at her daughter to make sure that the little pink bow on top of her head was sitting straight.

"Oh wow, Kody turned a year old in October. They're the same age. Are you guys here for the weekend or what?" Karen asked curiously as Kurt looked at her confused. He must have been wondering why his wife was all chatty with Stephanie McMahon-Levesque.

"Yeah, my parents have a place right on the water. We come down for the weekend whenever we get the chance. What are you guys doing down here on a Saturday?" Steph asked shifting Aurora to her other hip so that she could look at Kody Angle directly across from her. If there was one thing Aurora loved looking at it was other babies.

"Oh we came for the weekend too. Impact tapings are in Orlando on Monday so we thought what better way to take a little vacation then to come down here two days early." Karen explained as Shane started chatting Kurt up.

"Why don't you and Kurt come spend the day at our beach house? We have our own private beach." Linda offered.

"Oh no, we couldn't…" Karen said with hesitation. She was a little uncomfortable with the idea of spending the day with the McMahon family now that her husband had jumped ship to the other company.

"No, really it's fine. There is plenty of room on our beach and my husband literally works all weekend. You're more than welcome to visit for the day. Aurora would love a little playmate since her cousins didn't come for the weekend." Linda told Karen.

Her offer brought Kurt's attention away from his conversation with Shane. The Angles looked at each other for a moment; silently deciding on whether or not to take Mrs. McMahon up on her offer. They would have never thought that Shane, Linda, and Stephanie would have invited them for a day of relaxation at their beach house much less come over and say hello.

"Okay, a day on your private beach sounds great, thank you." Karen replied politely accepting Linda's invite.

It was a very pristine beach. Both Kurt and Karen were happy that they accepted Linda's offer. While they sat with Linda, Shane, and Stephanie, their daughter, Kyra, played happily in the peril white sand.

"It's amazing how well they take to the water." Steph commented as she watched both Aurora and Kody sitting and splashing in the little wading pool on the beach.

"Yeah, Kody's always loved being in the water." Karen replied once she sat up in her beach chair. Kody and Aurora were speaking mostly gibberish in the form of vowels and consonants as if they were having their own little private conversation.

"Daddy, take me out in the waves!" Kyra exclaimed running up to where Kurt was sunbathing.

"All right little girl, come here!" Kurt said playfully as he got out of his chair and picked his daughter up throwing her over his shoulder as she started to laugh. He ran down to the waves as if he were playing football and making a touchdown.

Stephanie smiled as she watched Kurt having fun with his little daughter in the ocean. The little four year old held her daddy tight as he jumped them over each of the waves. Kyra looked so happy to be spending time with her father. Since the day Aurora was born, Stephanie hoped that Paul would have that kind of relationship with her. Aurora deserved to spend quality time with her daddy. It wasn't her fault that Paul was in some kind of a funk. How could she possibly understand the absence of her daddy?

"Are you okay? You look really sad." Karen commented as she noticed the faraway look on Steph's face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just Paul and I are going through a rough time. I don't know what's wrong with him…It's like he's changed. He used to care about spending time together. He was sweet and kind. For the past week or so, it's like he wants nothing to do with being together as a family. All of a sudden, it's all about him." Steph finally said. She couldn't believe that she was pouring her heart out to the wife of her former co-worker but she was. It was like she needed to say it all aloud.

"Stephanie, you are not alone. Kurt and I have been in this situation so many times. We split up a few times over the course of our marriage." Karen reassured her.

"But what do I do? You should have seen the look on his face last night. He didn't even want to sit and eat dinner with me. What if he wants a divorce?" Steph asked revealing her worst fear imaginable.

"He doesn't want a divorce. Look Steph, husband's are like little kids. They expect to be given what they want and if they don't get it, they act up. Paul's just acting out because you have been so busy with Aurora. It's not all about him anymore." Karen explained as both she and Stephanie picked up their fussy babies.

"Well it's not like I can just ignore the needs of our baby to cater to him. I swear, I sometimes think I'm in this parent role all by myself. He just wants me to drop all my mothering responsibilities and only focus on us as a couple." Steph muttered holding Aurora close in order to sooth her while Karen did the same with her son.

"It's all about balance. You have to balance your role as a wife and mother. I didn't learn that until after my second child." Karen confessed.

"How do I do that? Between work and taking care of the baby, by the end of the day I just want to go to sleep so that I can do it all over again tomorrow." Stephanie admitted.

"You plan out a way where you make sure Aurora is being taken care of while at the same time, you spend one on one time with Paul. Like maybe you have weekends where you and Paul go away together as a couple." Karen suggested.

"But what about Aurora? I want us all to be a family. See how you and Kurt take the kids to a weekend break? I want that for Paul and me."

"Stephanie, you can have family time, I'm not saying that. But, spending time with just your husband is just as important in a marriage. Paul needs to feel like you still love him even after Aurora came to be. He needs to know that nothing has changed between the two of you; that you're still very much in love with him. If Paul is happy and you are happy, then Aurora is going to be happy. Understand?" Karen asked before checking to see if Kody was asleep like she suspected.

"Yeah, I think I see where Paul's coming from now. We really haven't had a lot of time to ourselves as of late…I need to fix that." Steph whispered as she noticed that Aurora too was now asleep.

The two mothers laid their sleeping one year olds on a nice soft blanket spread out on the sand. Kurt came running back up the beach with Kyra who was soaked in salt water and loving it. She went right back to playing in the sand while Kurt approached Karen.

"Kurt, that water feels cold!" Karen squealed when Kurt put his wet muscular arms around her hot tan body. She had been sitting out in the sun long to the point where even warm water felt cold on her skin.

"Come in the water with me, it feels great and refreshing…" Kurt whispered in her ear before giving her a nice long kiss.

Stephanie couldn't help but watch them while getting jealous. It was usually her and Paul who were happy kissing on the beach. Kurt and Karen looked so happy being with each other. Stephanie wondered if Paul would ever look at her that way again.

"Hey Steph, would you mind keeping an eye on Kody and Kyra while Kurt and I go in for a quick dip?" Karen asked.

"Oh no, go right ahead." Steph heard herself quickly reply. She felt sick to her stomach with jealousy as she watched Kurt pick Karen up into his arms and carry her into the ocean. Here she was sitting on the beach without Paul to sweep her off her feet and carry her into the water.

Stephanie felt so sad watching the two of them kissing and cuddling in the surf. It all reminded her of her honeymoon with Paul in Hawaii. They had spent every day in that beautiful blue ocean. She would never forget all the sweet kisses he had showered upon her in the warm Caribbean water. They were newlyweds just starting their life together as a married couple. It was all about them and she didn't have to juggle any roles to keep him happy. What had happened to them? How could Paul have become so distant when he loved her so much? Why did Kurt and Karen have such a great relationship after almost ten years of marriage with two kids?

There had to be something to the advice that Karen Angle had shared with her. Maybe Paul wasn't the only one at fault in this huge mess that had been created in their marriage. It was clear that whatever Steph was doing now wasn't working because Paul was just becoming more distant no matter how much she tried to keep them together as a family. They had to recapture the passion that at one time came so naturally to them. Maybe if Steph took more time to focus on her husband than maybe he would go back to being his old self again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Seven

"What the hell were you thinking bringing them to our beach house?" Vince asked Linda in the exact same voice he always used when playing his Mr. McMahon character on the show.

It had always been known that Mr. McMahon was simply Vince himself just blown fifty times out of proportion. This was one of the times where he was acting just like his character. He was so stubborn and took business way too personally. Kurt Angle had tried calling Vince after he left WWE just explain that there were no hard feelings but McMahon refused to talk to him. He wanted nothing to do with the Angles…That is unless Kurt Angle wanted to come back to WWE and make more money for him. Then it would be a different story.

"Dad, I don't know why you get so bent out of shape. Business is business and Karen Angle really helped me out yesterday. We had a great conversation." Steph explained coming to her mother's defense even though Linda didn't need any help holding her own against her husband.

They were sitting at the breakfast table. It was the first time during the weekend that Vince had joined his family. It was like he lived in the office. To Vince McMahon, there was no such thing as a vacation. Work is what he enjoyed doing. It was only when Vince had overheard Steph telling her mother about her and Karen's conversation did he find out about the Angles coming over to the beach house.

"Gee you two, why don't we invite Jeff Jarrett and Dixie Carter over for dinner tonight? What the hell they could bring their whole TNA roster with them! We'll have a barbeque!" Vince said in his phony laughing voice. His animated voice and gestures caused Aurora to let out a great big belly laugh while she sat in her high chair.

"Stop being so over dramatic, Vince. The Angles were only over here for an afternoon which is more time that you cared to spend with us." Linda replied quickly rattling off the comeback like it was nothing. Bantering with Vince had become second nature to her after forty-one years of marriage.

"I'm going to call Paul." Steph announced before Vince could reply to his wife's quick zinger. She lifted Aurora from the high chair and carried her with her into the living room with her Blackberry.

She sat down on the plush sofa that sat just in front of the Palladian window overlooking the beautiful private beach. Aurora sat on her lap while she used her thumbs to navigate her Blackberry for her home phone number. The PDA display signaled that the number was being dialed before Steph brought the phone to her ear.

"Why isn't Daddy answering?" Steph asked Aurora as the one year old began to fuss trying to get out of her mother's grasp so that she could stand on the carpet floor. Stephanie allowed Aurora to climb off the sofa. She toddled over to the close by coffee table and began pushing every single magazine off to the floor.

"Let me try his cell." Steph muttered as she leaned over to pick up the magazines and place them off to the side of the sofa. While doing this she skillfully used her left thumb to find his cell number. Aurora used her hands to bang on the glass coffee table over and over again as she babbled and laughed happy with the loud noise she was creating.

"Hey honey, where are you? I tried calling you at home." Steph inquired, her voice sounded sweet and loving. She was so happy to hear her husband's voice on the other end of the phone when he answered the call.

"I'm at the grocery store buying food because you didn't leave a damn thing to eat in the house when you left for the weekend." Paul quickly replied in a tone that was quite the opposite of Steph's.

"What? No, I left plenty-"

"How's Aurora? Can I talk to her?" Paul asked interrupting his wife.

"Oh she's fine. She's right here. Hold on, I'll hold the phone up to her ear."

Stephanie took Aurora by the end and led her back to the sofa so that she was now standing right in front her. Steph bent down and placed the phone to Aurora's ear after telling her husband to talk to his little girl. Aurora's face quickly changed from a look of indifference to a smile as she heard her daddy's voice on the phone.

"Dadda…" Aurora said into the phone before putting her mouth on the speaker of the phone where her daddy's voice was coming out of as if she was giving him a kiss.

"Did you get all that, Paul? Your baby girl really misses you…I do too…Paul?"

There was silence on the other line and then Stephanie heard a click followed by the dial tone. He had hung up on her. Steph was shocked. She couldn't believe it. Stephanie had called Paul with the hope that he had missed her and wanted to reconcile. He didn't even talk to her. Not even one word of inquiry into how she was or apologizing for how he behaved two days ago. He only wanted to speak to their one year old daughter.

Stephanie used her hand to wipe the small amount of baby saliva from her Blackberry while she walked back into the kitchen. Linda was busy clearing the table from breakfast. Her mother knew immediately from the look on her face that the phone call didn't go like she hoped it would.

"Is there anything I can do, sweetheart?" Linda asked seeing Steph wipe a tear from her face.

"Can you and Dad watch Aurora for me until tomorrow? I want it just to be me and Paul tonight when I get home. RAW is in Hartford so you can just bring Aurora to RAW and I'll take her back there." Steph explained.

"Sure, you know I love that little angel face. It will be good for you and Paul to have some time alone to talk things out." Linda replied. "Are you going back home tonight or earlier?"

"I think earlier would be best. Paul really isn't acting like himself."

"Take the corporate jet. Your dad and I are going to try and enjoy the rest of the day."

Stephanie couldn't help but reflected on the past week while she sat on the jet bound for Connecticut. It was just her and the pilot in her parents' personal jet. She had the peace and quiet to think about the advice that Karen had given her. She was banking on it. This recent argument between her and Paul had to be the worst they ever had. Sure they had disagreements before in the past, no relationship is perfect, but never before had Paul become so affected by a quarrel. Perhaps there was more to it than what was on the surface.

"Paul?" Stephanie called out as she set her suitcase down on the hardwood floor in front of the grand staircase. She had let herself in through the front door without even bothering to knock.

The house was quiet with no sound of inhabitance. Paul's red Hummer was parked in the driveway so she knew he was home. She was praying that he would be willing to simply give her a chance to make it all right. This was going to be her best opportunity to apply Karen's advice to her marriage. Stephanie wasn't about to spoil her chance to mend the tiny crack in her otherwise perfect marriage; for if she did, Steph feared that the tiny crack would only become a permanent chasm.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Eight

Steph wasn't sure where Paul was in their large home. No clues presented themselves as to whether he was upstairs or on the first floor. She made the decision to first check the kitchen and the living room. Stephanie left the vestibule for the long hallway that lead to her kitchen and living room. By the time she reached the end of the hallway, the silence was broken with Paul's voice.

"Oh yeah, I'll have to call you later on in the week. I love you too, bye." Paul said into his cell phone. His face remained unchanged when he saw his wife come around the corner. He didn't look the least bit excited to see her returning home early. Steph flashed him a hopeful smile as she saw him end the call.

"Who was that?" She asked curiously.

"Lynn called me wanting to catch up. I told her to bring Nayssa and Peter to a show soon. Aurora really hasn't seen her cousins in a while." Paul quickly replied setting his cell phone down on the coffee table.

"Where's Aurora?" He then asked, his eyes scanning the living room for his one year old daughter.

"Mom and Dad are watching her for the night. I thought we could have the rest of the night to ourselves. Just you and me…" Stephanie explained in a sweet voice stepping forward into the living room.

"Isn't it a little late for that? I wanted us to spend the weekend together but you wanted to go to Florida with Aurora." Paul said getting up from the sofa as he walked passed her into the kitchen.

"No, I wanted us to go to Florida as a family; you, me, and Aurora. Paul, I want to talk to you…Please look at me." Steph plead standing behind her husband who was facing the kitchen sink. She couldn't stand seeing him with his back to her.

"I'm tired of talking. Steph, I'm so tired of playing second to everything else in your life! It's like I have to beg you to put the baby down for the night or turn off the laptop! I mean what's more important, huh?" Paul asked turning around to face his wife who was beginning to get tearful.

"You have never been second. You are the love of my life. You're the father of my child. I'm so sorry you felt like I was choosing you over work and Aurora. I'm just trying to be the perfect wife, mother, and businesswoman." Steph cried.

"Just be yourself, Stephy. Be the woman I fell in love with. You used to take such good care of me and of us. I had all your kisses and hugs, and even creative freedom with Triple H. I felt like I was the king of the world….The King of Kings." Paul whispered taking Steph into his arms as he leveled with her.

"You are baby. I'm going to take care of you now. I'll talk to Dad about keeping Triple H on RAW. I know you want that. I just want you to be happy." Stephanie confessed in between kisses on her husband's soft lips. Paul seemed relieved by his wife's promise to him.

"That's good but it's not all I want. Do you know what would make me really happy?" Paul asked in a whisper flashing a naughty smile.

"What?" Steph whispered back. Her lips inches from his as he pulled her body close to his muscular frame. He knew just what to say to make her hot. His strong grip on her body made her feel loved and desired while secure at the same time.

"This…" Paul muttered running his hand all the way up her thigh before he kissed her passionately. Steph sighed bringing her hands to his face. Her fingertips pressed into his cheeks as they slowly trailed to his jaw line. She loved her husband's taste. That all so familiar reminisce of minty fresh gum that he was always chewing. Kissing him was always like heaven.

She felt a rush of excitement as Paul swiftly picked her up into his arms like a knight in white satin armor would pick up his beloved princess after saving her. Paul had saved Steph. He had finally allowed the wall between them to cave in. He had freed her from the emotional anguish she had been imprisoned in since the whole conflict between them came about.

"Take me to bed." Steph whispered in his ear before catching him in a kiss. Slowly, Paul carried Stephanie up the grand staircase bound for their master bedroom. Finally after weeks, they were going to make love.

Stephanie moaned her husband's name as he kissed and caressed every place that gave her pleasure. Her hands rubbed his hard muscular shoulder blades as if she was kneading a lump of dough. His lower half rose and fell under their bed sheet. Paul groaned in ecstasy feeling Steph match his rhythm. Overwhelming pleasure only built and then together they reached heaven.

Stephanie awoke the next morning with a smile on her face. She was in Paul's muscular arms; their white bed sheet wrapped around their naked bodies. All the pillows from their king size bed were stacked in one high pile underneath their heads. To her surprise, Paul met her gaze with a warm smile.

"I love you…" Steph whispered as if she was telling her husband a secret.

"I love you too." Paul replied, he began to trace his fingers up and down her naked back causing Stephanie to bring her hand to his face. She really loved his beard. It made him look so handsome while also tickling her face while she kissed him.

"You were serious about talking to your dad about keeping me on RAW, right? I want us to be together. If Vince puts me on SmackDown then we won't get to spend as much time together and-"

"Shh, no business, this is our time. There's no baby crying, no memos or emails, just you and me…" Steph whispered pressing her finger against his lips.

Levesque smiled, approving of his wife's mindset. He placed his hand on her neck and gently pulled her toward him for a kiss. His kiss was tender and sweet as it was last night. Stephanie 

couldn't have been happier by how the night played out. After so much dissonance, they were finally on the same page again.

Stephanie couldn't remember a more intimate moment between them since the night the conceived Aurora. She had been starved for her husband's love. Not the actual physical love, which she did want, but the emotional compassion and acceptance. For weeks they had been at odds over what layer of their relationship held the most importance and how their love had been lost in the shuffle of everyday life.

She was grateful that Karen Angle had made it clear to her what Paul wasn't getting out of their marriage. While he had tried to tell her many times before yelling or giving her the cold shoulder, Steph finally understood through a woman to woman talk on the beach. It amazed her how one romantic night of love making could revive him the way it did. It was like she had her husband back. The man who loved and cared about her. Paul and Stephanie had made up and for the first time in a week, they were a happily married couple.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Nine

"Karen, you are a marriage saver. I just followed your advice and it was like I had my husband back." Steph said into her phone as she began to prepare breakfast for her and Paul.

"That's great, so you guys worked everything out? No more communication problems?" Karen asked happy to hear that her advice worked.

"We talked through everything and I think we each have a better prospective on the other's feelings. And Oh my God, last night was amazing. Just when I thought Paul couldn't get more passionate in bed, he surprises me."

"That's awesome Steph. I'm so happy things are looking up for you guys. Listen, I have to go, I have to get the kids ready before we head on over to the Impact sound stage. Keep me posted on how you guys are doing. Bye."

"Come to Daddy!" Paul exclaimed in his loudest playful voice picking up his daughter. Aurora giggled. Her little nose wrinkled as she grinned at her father.

Stephanie and Paul had arrived backstage at the RAW show at Hartford's Civic center. After a terrific night and morning, they were happy to see their one year old daughter. Paul hadn't seen his baby girl since the end of last week. Steph beamed watching her husband interact with their daughter. He really was a great Daddy when he was being a nice sweet self.

"She was a perfect little angel." Linda reported with a smile looking at the Levesque family. Her daughter's happiness meant so much to Mrs. McMahon. After seeing how disconnected Steph was on the weekend, she had taken a complete turn around and was back to looking like her old self.

"That's great. Hey, where's Dad? I need to talk to him."

"He's overseeing the production video packages for tonight's show. With the pay-per-view coming up, your dad wants to make sure the packages are up to par."

"Do you want me to go with you to talk to him?" Paul offered. He thought that maybe if he and Stephanie approached Vince with the idea of him staying on RAW then Vince would be more likely to agree with them.

"No, I'll talk to Dad. He can get grouchy if he feels that we are trying to change his mind about something. He really doesn't like being told what to do." Steph explained as if Paul knew nothing about his father-in-law.

"Gee really? I didn't know that." Paul said sarcastically with a smile before leaning in for a kiss.

"Here, let me take Aurora. Dad's always a sucker for his little granddaughter." Steph said with a laugh taking her one year old from her husband.

"Good luck." Paul said as he watched Steph walk away toward where the video production was being set up. He knew she was going to need it. It was no easy feat to change Mr. McMahon's mind especially when it was something that had to do with his company.

"Hey Steph, everything work out okay between you and Paul?" Vince asked as he reached his arms out for Aurora.

"Yeah, we talked through everything. Thanks a lot for taking Aurora for the night. We really appreciate it." Steph replied as she handed her baby over to her dad.

"I didn't get to talk to Paul about going to SmackDown because he didn't come to Florida. Did you tell him about it?" Vince asked almost instinctively knowing the direction the conversation was going to go.

"Uh yeah, we talked about it. Um, I'm not so sure that putting Paul on SmackDown would be the best thing for us." Steph began taking a breath after she spoke. She was studying her father's reaction to her words to see if he was taking them well.

"Well I think it's best for the company. Why would Paul going to SmackDown be bad for the two of you?" Vince asked back quickly. He wasn't going to even consider what Steph was saying until he had some kind of evidence to support her claim.

"It's just if Paul goes to SmackDown, we won't be able to spend as much time together. You know the guys on SmackDown are on a different road schedule. Since Aurora was born I've supervised only RAW's creative direction. With our recent problems, us being apart really wouldn't be good for our marriage." Steph explained.

"Well if it's time together that you are worried about we could switch you to SmackDown as well. You could go back to working with the SmackDown writers instead of RAW. You could do both again if you want to as well. There's lots of possibilities. I really want him on SmackDown. He has tired all possible feuds with everyone on the RAW roster and we aren't getting much of a reaction to DX anymore."

"Well can't we bring someone from SmackDown over to RAW to feud with Triple H?" Steph asked grasping at straws to persuade her dad to give in to her husband's desire to stay on the A show.

"Steph, I'm done discussing this. I heard you out and I still want Paul on SmackDown. You tell him that if he has a problem with it, he can come talk to me." Vince said making it clear that his mind was made up on the issue.

"Well can we set up a meeting on Wednesday? Just so Paul can have a chance to talk to you face to face about it? Just so you can hear what he has to say?" Steph asked her dad.

"Fine, I can squeeze you in during my lunch break on Wednesday at headquarters." Vince replied granting her daughter's wishes. He needed to at least hear Paul's take on the situation. After all, Paul Levesque was his son-in-law.

"Hey man, how was the weekend?" Shawn asked his best friend when he walked into the locker room. Paul was already putting on his wrestling gear. He was looking forward to his match in the main event. Triple H was going to get his win by going over Chris Jericho and Randy Orton with Michaels.

"Well it started out pretty shitty but paid off in the end. Steph and I got into a fight and she took Aurora to Florida for most of the weekend. She came back alone on Sunday though and we made up." Paul replied lacing up his wrestling boots.

"Oh so I take it you finally got some of what you were missing?" Shawn asked giving his friend a smile. He had been there so many times before with his own wife. The good mood that Paul was in could only mean he had his needs met.

"Oh yeah and then some; now if I can just get her to convince her father to keep me here on RAW." Paul said with a smile.

"Why what's going on? Does Vince want to send you to SmackDown?" Shawn asked his voice full of surprise.

"Yeah he does. I don't understand why? Why can't he just send someone else? Throw shitty mid-carder who was in line for the IC title on SmackDown and build him up as a contender for Batista's World title. That would be more effect then putting Triple H on the B show. I mean, what in the hell would that accomplish?" Paul asked his friend venting his frustrations.

"Oh come on man, it won't be so bad. SmackDown is full of up and coming guys. You could show them the ropes. At least you'd be contributing to the future of the business." Michaels pointed out trying to help his tag partner see the good that would come out of him going to SmackDown.

"I don't see you volunteering to go to SmackDown. You know the Heartbreak Kid would most definitely have more to offer the younger guys than I would." Paul said throwing Shawn's positive thinking right back at him.

"Vince doesn't want me there he wants you. Besides-" Shawn began to reply but was soon cut off by the sound of Paul's cell phone going off.

"Hang on, I'll be right back. I have to take this. I always get bad reception in the locker room." Paul muttered as he looked at his cell phone screen. He quickly got up from where he sat and left the locker room.

Shawn looked confused by what had just happened. Shawn had never had any problems talking on his cell in the locker rooms. Then again he did have a different cell phone and service provider than Paul. Even in this day and age, cell phones would only work so well in certain areas.

"Hey Shawn, have you seen Paul? I was sure he would be in here getting ready." Steph asked Shawn as she walked into the locker room with Aurora holding her hand.

"He left to take a call. How's the little princess doing?" Michaels asked catching sight of his friend's little girl walking with her mommy like a big girl.

"She's doing better now. She just got over an ear infection. Do you know who Paul was talking to?" Steph asked with a smile as she ran her hand through her daughter's soft brown locks of hair while she stood at knee level.

"No he didn't tell me. I bet it was his parents or his sister. They have been known for calling him before a show, you know that."

Everyone knew that Paul was very close with his family. He talked to his parents often and even invited his sister Lynn and his niece and nephew to come see him at the show. Family was very important to him.

"Yeah you're probably right. When you see him, can you tell him that I went with Aurora to grab a bite to eat down the street? I'm so hungry that I just can't wait. I'm going to do a carry out order so I'll be right back." Steph explained placing her hand over her stomach.

"Okay, I'll tell him." Shawn answered back with a kind smile as he watched Steph bend down and pick up her daughter so that she could walk at a faster pace.

Michaels didn't dare mention the possibility of Paul going to SmackDown to Stephanie. Judging by Paul's attitude toward the subject, it was probably best for him to stay away from that topic especially since things were starting to go well for Paul and Stephanie. Up until recently, Paul never had any problems with the McMahons booking of his matches. Triple H, just like Shawn Michaels, had his fair share of moments in the spotlight. Now it seemed like Triple H was being dumped onto SmackDown in order to raise the show to the level of RAW. Michaels could only wonder if Paul would allow that to happen.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Ten

"You really didn't have to come with me to the meeting, Steph. You and Aurora could have stayed home." Paul told his wife as he sat in the driver seat of his red Hummer. Aurora was securely strapped into her car seat in the middle of the backseat and Steph sat in the front passenger's seat next to her husband.

"I wanted Aurora and I to come to the meeting with you. You should have to try and convince Dad on your own. And maybe after the meeting we can go get something for lunch just the three of us." Steph suggested flashing Paul a loving smile.

"You sure had no problem going out to eat without me last night. I came back from a call and find out that you went out for food without me." Paul muttered as he switched lanes on the highway.

"I just went to get takeout. I came right back…Paul, who were you talking to that you had to leave the locker room?" Steph asked after a pause.

"Lynn, she called me to remind me that Dad's birthday's coming up. She knows I'm bad with dates." Paul explained glancing in his review mirror at his daughter. Aurora was smiling happily as she let out a string of vowels with a few consonance all hints of language development.

"If it was Lynn then why did you have to leave the locker room to talk to her?" Steph quickly replied watching her husband's face for any sign of inconsistencies to his facial expressions.

"The locker room had bad reception. It didn't even show a bar on my cell phone. What is this, an inquisition?" Paul asked somewhat miffed by his wife's questioning.

Stephanie wasn't sure how to answer her husband. While she completely trusted Paul she couldn't help but entertain the slight possibility that he could be keeping something from her. Was that so wrong? Part of Steph felt bad about being so suspicious when Paul had never given her a reason not to believe him in the past. Why was she now beginning to second guess his words? Maybe it was the recent fights they had been having that caused Steph to inquire about things in her husband's life.

"I don't know why this meeting is even necessary. I told Steph that I had made up my mind." Vince told his son-in-law. They were in one of the conference rooms to discuss the matter. Even though Paul was married into the family, McMahon still liked to keep things professional when it came to the business.

"Come on Vince, why does it have to be me that makes the jump to SmackDown? Triple H is the company's biggest star it doesn't make sense to throw him on our B show. You know it and I know it. So why don't you tell me what this is really about?" Paul said looking over at his wife and then back at Vince.

"I'm not sure what you mean." Vince replied confused by what Levesque was talking about.

"She told you about us having disagreements as of late and you decided to put me on SmackDown as a punishment. You know I'm a smart guy, Vince, don't underestimate my intelligence."

"Paul, I had nothing to do with Dad's decision to put you on SmackDown. He decided that before we even started disagreeing, remember? Please don't be this way." Steph asked placing her hand on top of Paul's as their daughter sat on her lap tapping her fingers on the wooden conference table while babbling.

"You're wrong, Paul. One has nothing to do with the other. I didn't even talk to Stephanie about your marital bickering. She talks to her mother about that sort of thing. I want you on SmackDown because I need you to bring some credibility back to the brand. Triple H would bring a whole new dynamic to what is becoming a stale show. With our move to the CW, I want to make sure we have all our bases covered." Vince explained as Paul shook his head. It was like he wasn't even listening to Vince's reasoning. He had already made up his mind that Triple H wasn't going to be drafted to SmackDown.

"Send Cena and Jericho over there. Triple H should be the WWE champion not demoted to our second rate show. I think I deserve it. Shit Vince, if it wasn't for me, both Orton and Batista wouldn't be at the level they are today. I want a title run."

"Maybe you could have a World title run on SmackDown. Dad did bring up a good point, honey. He said that we could shift our schedules around so that we had more time together. Isn't that what we want?" Steph asked trying to smooth over her husband's frustrations.

"I can't believe you aren't backing me up on this. You of all people know what being on SmackDown means. Why else did you choose to head RAW's creative team instead of SmackDown's? You know that the talent on SmackDown, excluding the Undertaker, are all midcard fillers. Is that what you think I should be Steph, huh?" Paul asked getting more and more agitated. His loud voice caused Aurora to fuss.

"I don't like the way you are speaking to my daughter! You need to calm down! Behaving this way isn't going to make me change my mind about putting you on SmackDown!" Vince hollered causing his face to become red.

Stephanie's eyes got big as she brought her right hand to her mouth. Her stomach began to churn when a wave of intense nausea set in. It was all coming on fast causing her to gag uncontrollably.

"Steph, are you going to be sick? Here, here!" Vince yelled handing his daughter the office waste basket while Paul took Aurora.

The trash bin didn't come a moment too soon for the moment she had it in her hands was the moment her undigested breakfast came up in chunks. Steph moaned before feeling the urge to vomit again. Aurora was crying reaching for her mother while Paul simply sat there holding his daughter. Both Vince and Paul were shocked that Steph had just gotten sick out of the blue.

"You want to hold her hair back, Paul?" Vince asked seeing Steph's beautiful brown locks of hair hanging into the wastebasket as she leaned over. He was somewhat surprised that his son-in-aw didn't take any initiative to help his wife.

"Yeah sure." Paul said quickly before setting Aurora down on the office floor in order to tend to his wife. Aurora tried climbing into her mother's lap but Vince scooped her up.

"Are you coming down with a stomach virus?" Vince asked. His voice was full of concern for his one and only daughter.

"I don't know…Oh God, I'm going to be sick again!" Steph announced bringing the waste basket back up to her face.

"Jesus Steph, what did you eat this morning? You were like this when you were pregnant with Aurora…Man, I hope you're not pregnant again. That would be bad timing." Levesque chuckled thinking he was making light of the situation.

His comment caused Stephanie's eyes to widen. Pregnancy was actually a very real possibility. That hadn't used any protection when they made love two nights ago. Could she be pregnant? That would explain her recent increased appetite. Was Paul serious about not wanting another baby right now or was he just joking around? Did it matter right now though? She probably wasn't pregnant at all. There had been a stomach virus going around that she probably got. Her period wasn't due until next week. Perhaps she could take a home pregnancy test at the end of the week just to make sure. After all her and Paul had been through these past couple of weeks, they couldn't handle not knowing.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Eleven

The rest of the day that followed Stephanie getting sick at the meeting wasn't any better for her. Steph lay wedged between the toilet and the bathroom wall. It was really the best place for her to lay for she was vomiting frequently. She couldn't hold anything down. Even the smallest slip of ginger ale came right back up into the white porcelain bowl.

"I am so sick…" Steph muttered using one hand to wipe her face while the other still grasped the round toilet bowl.

"Yeah I know. You got a bad virus. Don't give it to me, babe. I have to go to New York. I can't be getting sick." Paul replied

"Why are you going to New York? And when?" Steph asked with a frown. This was the first she had heard of his future departure.

"I'm leaving tomorrow. I've got a follow up for that last photo shoot I did. I'm not going to be gone that long though. It's just going to be over night." Paul explained checking out his beard in the mirror for straggling hairs.

"Why don't you just take the corporate jet and come home right after. I'm sick, Paul. I need your help with Aurora. I can't take care of her when I'm scrambling to the toilet every few minutes." Steph said in a raspy voice looking like she was about to cry while describing her current state of being.

"I'm sorry your sick but I already planned the trip months in advance. Remember, I told you all about it. Why don't you stay with your parents or Shane and Marissa? They can help you with Aurora. I'll only be gone for a full day. It's just a stomach virus." Paul assured her looking at her via the corner of his eye as she started throwing up again.

"We don't know that for sure. I could be pregnant. We didn't use any protection." Steph replied once the wave of nausea had subsided for a moment.

"You're not pregnant. There's no way you could all ready be showing signs of a pregnancy. We had sex two nights ago. Plus we only screwed once. God knows I haven't been getting much of that lately." Paul said muttering the last sentence under his breath.

Stephanie wanted to argue the facts with her husband but she was just too tired. Not only did her stomach ache, she was beginning to feel the onset of a fever. Perhaps Paul was right, maybe she wasn't pregnant but had a bad virus. Whatever it was that was ailing her, Steph knew she would be unable to take care of Aurora without someone's help.

"My head is killing me. I think I'm running a fever. Could you hand me a damp cloth?" Steph asked in a moan from pain.

Paul grabbed one of the already used wash clothes nearby on the bathroom countertop and ran it under some cold water. He quickly gentling ringed it out so that it was only damn and tossed it to Steph before going back to grooming his facial hair.

Stephanie was taken aback by her husband's lack of concern for her. It was like he was more into his own personal grooming than her health. What was going on with him? The Paul that Stephanie knew would have been concerned for her. It was like she had become somewhat invisible to him.

"Paul would you hold me, please?" Stephanie asked almost as if she was pleading with him to pay her some form of undivided attention. The cold compress provided her with very little relief from the dull headache.

Paul let out a sigh as he set down his clippers and turned to face his wife. He slowly bent down and gently kissed her on the forehead. Her head was extremely warm. She most definitely had a fever. Steph leaned forward as she felt her husband's hand brush down her cheek. His thumbs caressed her jaw line. She was hoping that he would take her into his arms to comfort her but he didn't.

"Why don't you come with me to bed? It's going on midnight. You should get some rest." Paul whispered as he stood back up not taking his eyes of his wife.

"I don't know. I think I should stay by the toilet. Whatever I have, it's still not out of my system yet. Aurora should be good for the night. I just changed her diaper about an hour ago. I barely was able to do that." Steph muttered placing her pulsating head in both her hands.

"All right then, well I'm going to bed. I've got an early flight tomorrow morning. Hope you feel better." Paul called out wasting no time turning his back on his visibly sick wife to walk out of the master bathroom.

It was when Levesque was back inside the master bedroom did he hear the sound of his one year old daughter crying from in the nursery. He let out a frustrated sigh before rolling his eyes. His family was bound and determined to not allow him to get some decent sleep. Paul walked with heavy feet down the hall to the nursery and opened the door. Little Aurora was standing in her crib with her arms stretched out toward him.

"Dada! Up!" She whined stomping her feet up and down on the crib mattress.

"Lay down, lay down right now and go to sleep." Paul said in a demanding voice. He didn't scream at his child but made his voice forceful enough that she would know he meant business.

Aurora began to cry even more when Paul approached the crib and refused to pick her up. She grabbed fists full of silk shirt to try and grab on in the hope that her daddy would pick her up. Levesque quickly pride her hands open.

"Lay down right now. It is bed time, your mother is sick and I need to get some rest. Daddy has a photo shoot tomorrow and he has to look good." Paul explained to his one year old as if she would even comprehend what he was telling her.

Aurora didn't understand any part of what her father was saying. All she knew that her daddy was refusing to pick her up and comfort her like her mommy always did. Paul placed his hands on both sides of her little torso and slowly made her lay back down in the crib. Aurora's cries softened as she felt her nice soft blanket cover her.

"Dadadada." Aurora called out again reaching her right hand through the crib bars and outward to her father. Paul took it in his and gave it a little kiss before letting go.

"Goodnight sweetie. Go to sleep." Paul muttered walking out of the nursery.

He gently closed the nursery door before walking back down the hallway toward the master bedroom. Levesque was impressed that he was able to console his daughter without even picking her up. He had to get some sleep now.

Stephanie pressed her face into the tiled floor of the bathroom. The hard cold tile provided some relief from the burning hot fever. Slowly, Steph moved to her side so that the left side of her face was now pressing against the tile and she was now viewing the open door leading to the bedroom.

"Steph, honey, I'm going to close this door. The light from the bathroom is going to keep me awake. Do you want me to help you to bed?" Paul asked popping his head in the doorway. He had stripped down to his white cotton briefs.

"No, I'm just going to lie here…" Steph cried bringing her hands to her face to wipe her warm tears before they could cascade down her face.

"Oh okay, goodnight." Paul whispered before closing the door to the bath room.

Stephanie turned on her back staring up at the white bathroom ceiling. It was like she was staring into nothingness. The fever put her mind in a haze as she struggled to get comfortable enough to get some rest. Being on the hard tile floor didn't provide the best surface to sleep. Still, it was better than her not making it to the toilet at night. Cleaning up her own vomit was the last thing Steph wanted to do. Her head pounded as if it had its own dominating pulse.

Levesque quickly tossed the decorative pillows off the bed and onto the floor allowing him to pull back to the bed sheets. Slipping into the bed, Paul then stacked both pillows in the middle of the bed so he could have the whole king size bed to himself and be as comfortable as possible. He closed his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep as if he didn't have a single care in the world.

Paul was leaving tomorrow morning. Steph could have sworn it was the first she had heard about this. Did it really make a difference though? Whether or not her husband was there? In the past few weeks, Paul's involvement with the care of their child had been minimal. Still, Paul Levesque was the man she loved. He was the man she had forsaken all others for; the man who gave her a beautiful little girl. He had to be under stress. Stephanie knew how upset he was about her father wanting to move him to SmackDown. Maybe the short trip to New York would give him the time alone he needed to clear his head. The time apart had to be good for them because spending time together didn't seem to be helping their relationship.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Twelve

"I'm so tired, Mom. I spent the night lying on the floor in my master bathroom." Stephanie cried with her cordless phone pressed to her ear. The first thing she did when she got up that morning was call her mother. She needed someone to talk to about the hellish night she had endured.

"Why didn't Paul help you to bed? He was home last night, wasn't he? Sounds like you caught the stomach flu."

"I don't know what it is. But yeah, Paul was there, but he was acting peculiar. I don't know what's going on with him. He just springs it on me that he's leaving for a follow up photo shoot in New York. He left this morning early and is coming back tomorrow. Do you know anything about this photo shoot? I swear I don't remember him telling me about it before." Steph said as she entered Aurora's nursery where she was crying and standing up in the crib with her arms stretched out toward Steph.

"You're father did mention it to me that Paul had a second part to a photo shoot. I think that's why your dad scheduled the meeting with him yesterday instead of today. Why is my little granddaughter crying so hard?" Linda asked.

The moment Steph got close to her baby; she immediately knew why she was so fussy. The putrid stench completely gave it away.

"Oh Jesus, she has an engorged diaper! Oh my God, it's almost coming out on the sides!" Steph cried out while she carefully lifting her screaming child out of the crib with the phone skillfully balanced between her shoulder and the side of her face.

"Oh wow, do you need me to let you go?" Linda asked concerned that Steph needed to give her undivided attention to the baby.

"No, we can talk. Oh Aurora, it cooked your bottom. You've been sitting in this over night, haven't you?" Steph asked when pulled open the diaper and saw that Aurora's little rear end was beet red. The one year old was screaming and crying just as loud and constant was she was the very moment Stephanie opened her eyes that morning.

Stephanie knew that Aurora had most definitely had soiled the diaper last night. Has she been crying all night? No, surely she hadn't because her father would have tended to her. Paul had only been gone for a few hours; there is no way that her little bottom could get that rip roaring red that quickly. Steph had been so out of it last night that she literally was in her own little fever induced world. If she had heard her child crying, she would have managed to care for her, no matter how sick she was.

"She has a really bad rash! God I wish Paul was here! The smell is making me feel sick again!" Steph cried as she began to deal with disposing of the diaper and cleaning up her daughter as she stood leaning over the changing table.

"How about I come over and take Aurora off your hands for today and over night? It would do you good to try and get some sleep and then tomorrow Paul will be back and he can take care of Aurora." Linda explained extending the offer to her daughter.

"Oh that would be great, please hurry over. I'm fighting off getting sick again." Steph muttered into the phone while she wore a look of concern.

She was worried that she would have to run to the bath room and leave Aurora on the changing table unattended. It was a known fact that Aurora was very curious and adventurous. The last thing Stephanie needed was her daughter taking a header off the changing table. Aurora was still whining when Steph applied the soft wet wipe over her diaper rash. Her little girl's discomfort bothered Steph more than the nausea did. Aurora Rose had just gotten over an ear infection and now this?

Linda had promised to hurry over as fast as she could. It felt like a life time as Stephanie paced in the vestibule holding Aurora who was still fussy. She swayed slightly as she walked the same path back and forth. This gentle rocking provided not only provided Aurora with much needed comfort but also helped Steph cope with how she was feeling. Her whole body ached though it was her head that was bothering her the most. No doubt her fever had returned with the new day.

"Thank God you're here." Steph whispered as she quickly handed Aurora over to her mother just as soon as she had stepped foot into the house.

"Steph, honey, you don't look so good. You're color is really off. Why don't you go to see the doctor today while I have Aurora?" Linda suggested shifting Aurora to her other hip as she followed Stephanie up the grand stairs.

"No, I'll be fine. I think it's a stomach virus. I just have to wait it out. I want to try and get some sleep. I'm exhausted. I barely got any sleep last night on that hard tile floor. I'm just probably run down. I've been so busy with work, Aurora is just getting over being sick, and of course Paul and I have been fighting a lot lately." Steph muttered in a run on sentence as she slowly ascended the stairs.

"Why don't you take a break from work and take a week off? It will give you time to kick this flu or whatever you have plus you can spend more time with Paul and Aurora. I could even take Aurora for the week so you and Paul could spend some time together." Linda offered trying to give her daughter possible options to make her life easier.

"I don't know if that's a good idea. Lately I've been getting the vibe from Paul that he doesn't want to spend time with me. You should have seen him last night. He was so distant. He went to bed early because he had an early flight. The Paul I know would have been right there with me taking care of me. I don't understand what's going on with him. I just don't like his new attitude." Stephanie whined complaining about her husband's behavior to her mom when she reached the second floor.

"Steph, you know Paul loves you more than anything. He's probably just feeling the stress too. You know that everyone handles stress differently. Maybe Paul's way is to just internalize it and disconnect from everyday life. Trust me, you're father has been that way with me many times in the past. It doesn't mean that he doesn't love you and Aurora anymore." Linda explained, walking into the nursery after Stephanie.

"I want him to tell me what's going on though! I'm his wife! He should be able to confide in me! My life is an open book to him! I don't understand why he has to be so secretive about his feelings! He never used to be like this and I hate it! And since when has running off to New York to be in some stupid photo shoot more important than being at home with your wife and baby? He used to complain about having to do those damn things." Steph hollered throwing some of Aurora's baby clothes and diapers into a pink diaper bag with force.

"Try and be patient with him, honey. Perhaps he's using this time in New York to clear his head and have some alone time. Sometimes that's all that is needed. You know that absence makes the heart grow fonder." Linda said, giving her daughter that old tried and true saying that seemed like an empty promise to Steph.

"Why does he feel that he needs a break from us? How have we gotten to the point where he feels that he needs a break? Things were going great and now all of a sudden he needs breaks from me and our child?" Steph cried turning to look at her mom.

"We don't know that for sure. I only speculated that he was using the photo shoots as a way of taking a break from his normal responsibilities as a husband and father. You know that being a dad is still new to him. It can take a man longer to adjust to parenthood than marriage. I mean think about it Steph, before Aurora it was just you and him and now you two have a child to raise for the next twenty or more years. That can be somewhat frightening to a new daddy." Linda explained in a soft calming voice.

Steph slowly shook her head before inhaling the congestion that was beginning to build in her nose. She was so tired of hearing the same excuse of his behavior being blamed on Aurora's arrival. Just like him, having their daughter was a life altering experience that affected every aspect of her life. Did that mean that she had a license to behave the way he had been in the past weeks?

"I wanted more than anything in the world for him to hold me last night. I even asked him to but he didn't. I don't know what's going on with him, Mom. I don't know anything anymore…" Steph muttered through heavy tears. She completely lost her composure when she thought back to last night and how her husband had left her in the bathroom with no comfort when she was so sick.

"Oh honey, come here. It's going to be okay. Shh…" Linda whispered soothingly as she took her daughter into an embrace with one arm while she held her grandchild with the other arm.

Aurora began to fuss as she tugged on her fine light brown hair letting out a cry. Seeing her mother upset and in tears was very unsettling to her. Even at the tender age of one, she could pick up on her mommy's dismay. Stephanie's emotional upheaval along with her feeling so sick was being picked up by her daughter and it was upsetting her greatly.

Stephanie was somewhat relieved to have her mother take Aurora for the night. She hated seeing her baby picking up on her own feelings of uncertainty and sadness. That wasn't the things that she wanted Aurora to absorb from being around her.

Steph laid in bed on her right side. The bed sheet and down comforter was wrapped around her body as the ceiling fan spun on the highest setting. Beads of sweat remained on her forehead. Only a few moments before, the few saltine crackers that she had tried to eat, had found their way back up and out of her mouth in painful retching.

Her eyes closed as she concentrated on trying to drift off to sleep. She was determined to escape all the aches and pains by getting some much needed rest. Just when she began to feel herself drifting into a slumber, the shrill sound of the phone ring jarred her back to reality. She let the phone ring a few more times, not wanting to even make the effort to grab it from its cradle on her nightstand. It was on the sixth ring that with her eyes still closed, used her hand to feel for the cordless phone.

"Hello?" She whispered in a raspy voice into the receiver.

"Hi honey, how are you feeling? I wanted to check on you." Paul said in a sweet voice that could only be from a loving and caring husband.

Steph smiled when she heard her husband's voice on the other end of the phone. He sounded like himself, the man she loved and who loved her. Whatever funk he had been in last night, there were no signs of it in his voice now.

"Hi baby, I'm not doing well. I woke up this morning feeling just as bad as I did last night. Poor Aurora must have messed her diaper during the night because by the time I changed it this morning her little bottom was cooked." Steph reported placing her hand over her burning hot forehead.

"Oh wow, well I checked on her last night before I went to bed and other than being a little fussy, she was okay. How are you holding up though? Are you going to be okay with the baby for the rest of today and tonight? I didn't stop to think about how you were going to manage being so under the weather. I'm sorry."

"It will be okay. Mom was nice enough to take Aurora for the night so I can get some rest. I miss you though. I wish you were here…" Steph confessed.

"Aw, well I'll be home to take care of you tomorrow. You should see how the pictures are turning out. You'd love them. I'll let you go though so you can get some rest. I love you." Paul said before making a kiss sound into the phone.

"I love you too." Steph said with a weak smile before she replicated the same sound but a little softer.

Hanging up the phone, she couldn't help but feel better. The unexpected call from her husband meant so much to her. The sweet and tender voice he had used when checking on her and telling her how he was sorry made Stephanie's heart melt like butter on a hot summer day. His concern for her well being gave Stephanie that positive outlook on his weird recent behavior that her mother had tried so hard to instill in her earlier in the day. Whatever he was dealing with, it wasn't keeping him from showing the very side of himself that Stephanie had fallen in love with those six years ago.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Thirteen

The master bed room was dark. Stephanie was lying there drenched in sweat. She couldn't even feel the cool breeze from the ceiling fan. Something really was wrong. Steph had been sick with a virus before but never like this. It was as if her body was desperately fighting off an illness and was losing. Hour by hour her condition seemed to worsen.

Stephanie's watery eyes focused at her nightstand when she heard the phone begin to ring. It took every bit of energy she had to reach over and grab the phone. She used her thumb to hit the talk button before bringing it the ear that wasn't on the pillow.

"Hello?" She said in a raspy whisper.

"Stephanie? It's Karen, are you okay, sweetie? You sound like you're not feeling well. I was just call to ask how things were going with Paul." Karen Angle said on the other line.

"I just talked to Paul earlier today. I'm so sick…I keep throwing up and I have a fever…I first thought I could be pregnant but this vomiting is so much worse…"

"You need to go to see a doctor, Steph. Something could really be wrong with you. If Paul isn't there, have your mom take you. It's important. You need to be healthy for your baby girl." Karen explained as Stephanie inadvertently slipped in and out of consciousness.

"I don't think I could make it to the doctor's office…I can't keep anything in me….I keep throwing it back up…I feel so weak." Steph whispered back as she breathed heavy. She was fighting to stay conscious.

"Stephanie, I'm going to hang up now. I want you to call 911. Okay?" Karen asked speaking loud and clear over the phone in the hope that her friend could hear and comprehend her in the condition she was in.

"I'm going to call my mom…" Steph whispered back for ending the call.

"Mrs. Levesque, I'm going to give you some IV fluids. I think you are severely dehydrated. May I please have your left hand?" An EMT asked as Stephanie snapped back into a conscious state.

Stephanie was lying on an ambulance stretcher in the back of an ambulance. Linda was sitting on the other side of her holding her hand. Steph's eyes were big as she looked around the ambulance and then back and forth between her mom and the EMT. She had passed out after dialing her mother's phone number. Being a concerned parent, Linda McMahon had raced over to find Steph lying in bed unconscious and she called 911.

"Where's my baby?" Steph whispered to her mother as the EMT placed an oxygen tube under her nose.

"She's with your dad. He happened to come home early from headquarters. She's fine, you just relax, sweetheart." Linda whispered has she placed a hand on Stephanie's forehead.

"When we get to the hospital…I want you to call Paul…I need him." Steph cried feeling the IV needle puncture the top of her left hand.

"Okay, honey. Don't worry, I'll call him. I'm sure he'll leave New York right away to be with you. Don't worry about anything." Linda whispered giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead.

"I want my husband…" Stephanie cried as she was being wheeled on a stretcher down the hospital hallways. Once in her designated emergency room, a few EMTs gathered around her and grabbed hold of the sheet under her on the stretcher. With a "123 lift" they were able to move Stephanie to a hospital bed.

Once Stephanie was all hooked up to the IVs and off the oxygen, Linda stepped out of the hospital for a moment to try and reach Paul. She quickly dialed his cell phone number and waited for him to pick up so that she could tell him what had transpired. The phone rang once, then twice. It rang five times before it stopped.

"Hey this is Paul. I'm not here to take your call. Please leave your name and number and I'll get back to you as soon as I can." Paul's voice said before a machine beep was heard.

"Paul, this is Linda. Stephanie's in the hospital. She's very sick. Please come home as soon as you get this. We haven't seen the emergency room doctor yet. It could be serious, please call me back as soon as possible." Linda said, her voice beginning to crack as she explained her daughter's situation. It was one of the few voice messages Linda had made where she was not able to sound professional. She was unable to keep her emotions in check as she felt herself begin to cry.

She had to regain her composure. The last thing Stephanie needed to see was her crying. Linda had to be strong for her daughter. It was obvious that Steph had been under an unusual amount of stress these past few weeks. That probably played a huge role in whatever she was severely sick with now.

"Is he coming home? What did he say?" Steph whispered as soon as she saw her mother reenter the room.

"He didn't answer his cell phone." Linda replied as if it wasn't a big deal. "We can try him again later."

"Can you just try him again? Paul always answers his cell when he's away on business, especially after we had Aurora." Steph explained with her eyes closed. She just wanted her husband to fly back to be with her. Simply his presents would make her feel so much better than how she was feeling right then.

Linda nodded and gave her daughter a weak smile. She stepped outside of the hospital building once again. She found his number on the recently called list of her PDA and called it again. This time there were no rings and she was directed straight to his voice mail. It was obvious that she wasn't going to get a hold of him.

"What do you mean you can't get a hold of him? It's two in the morning!" Stephanie cried out bringing her had up to her face to wipe away a tear.

"Maybe he forgot to take his phone off of silent. He's probably passed out in bed. You know how tired he gets with those vigorous photo shoots. I'll call Dad after we see the doctor. He can try and get a hold of Paul. Just try and relax, okay?" Linda said taking Steph's other hand in hers.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Russo. I see the nurses already got your stats. You're running a high temperature and you mentioned that you are vomiting frequently? How many times would you say that you have gotten sick at the most in an hour?" The doctor asked Stephanie.

"Seven times…" Steph whispered as she sighed feeling her mom's cool hand on her face.

"You also have a high pulse rate." The doctor muttered almost as if he was talking to himself before continuing. "I would like to do some tests to rule out some possibilities. Can you tell me when the last time you menstruated? Is there any possibility that you could be pregnant?" He asked looking away from his paperwork and over at Steph.

"Yes, I was due for my period a day or so ago. I don't think I'm pregnant though. This goes beyond morning sickness." Stephanie replied.

"Well, we'll perform some tests and we will see what's what."

"What do you mean they don't know what's wrong with her yet?" Vince asked rocking Aurora Rose as he held her in one arm while he held the phone in his other hand.

"The doctor has to do some tests. He has to rule out some things before he can give us a diagnosis." Linda explained to her husband as she stood outside of the hospital in what was becoming her usual spot.

"Well did you at least call Paul? I know he's coming home today but he should get a heads up on what's going on." Vince said gently lying a sleeping Aurora down in the playpen that he had set up in one of the living rooms of his mansion.

"I tried calling him twice already. I don't know if he has his cell phone turned off or what but I can't reach him. Can you try calling him at six? I think he has an early fight back to Connecticut."

"Okay, I'll do that. How's Stephanie? Is she staying conscious now?" Vince asked his voice full of concern for his only daughter.

"Yes, she is. You can tell she's not feeling well but I think the worst is over. They are getting IV fluids in her. One of the EMTs said she was dehydrated. I just really hope we hear back from Paul soon. She really wants him with her. You know, their anniversary is tomorrow." Linda told her husband as she placed her free hand into her pocket to shield it from the cold October air.

"Yeah, I know. No Mercy this weekend too. I hope Steph is going to be well enough to help me oversee the creative department. You know how lost they are without her." Vince replied.

At exactly seven o'clock that morning, the LAN phone began to ring in the Levesque home. With no one there to answer the phone it continued to ring and ring before the answering machine picked it up.

"Hey Steph, I'm calling from the hotel room, I forgot my cell phone charger and my cell died. Listen sweetheart, I'm not going to be home today. I was asked to do a few autograph signings for some grand opening in Times Square. I'll be home first thing tomorrow. I know that you're not feeling well and you're probably asleep. I love you and give Aurora a kiss from her daddy. See you tomorrow." Paul's voice played over the machine as it recorded. He sounded upbeat and happy. If only he knew that his wife was not asleep in bed but in the hospital emergency room.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Fourteen

Paul stepped off the plane and began walking into the airport terminal. He was back in Connecticut after his two full days in New York. Levesque had thoroughly enjoyed his time in the big apple. He loved doing photo shoots and other media appearances. Paul really felt at home in the spotlight and enjoyed basking in it whenever possible. Now that he was home though, he was going to go straight home to be with his wife and daughter. It was after all, the day of his fourth anniversary of being married to Stephanie.

The sound of his cell phone ringing in his back pocket caused him to stop walking and reach behind to grab it. He glanced at the number before hitting the green send button and putting the phone to his ear.

"Hey Shane, how's it going? I just got off the plane. Have you talked to Steph? I ended up buying a new cell phone battery today before I left New York." Paul explained before he even let his brother-in-law speak.

"Paul, we've been trying to get a hold of you since yesterday. Stephanie's in the hospital." Shane replied not even bothering with the small talk that Paul had wanted to engage in with him.

"She's in the hospital? When did this happen?" Paul said. His voice sounded full of concern. He was just finding out that his wife was in the hospital. Sure he knew Stephanie was feeling under the weather but he never would have thought it was that serious.

"Where the hell have you been? We tried calling the hotel you were staying at. Thank God Steph's going to be okay. I don't even want to think about what could have happened if Mom didn't call 911 and get her to the hospital." Shane replied.

"Where is Aurora?" Paul asked as he began to power walk down the terminal.

"Marissa and I have her. Mom and Dad are at the hospital with Steph. You really need to get over there. Steph's really upset. She was afraid something happened to you."

"Well I'm on my way to the hospital. The reason you guys couldn't get a hold of me at the hotel was because I wasn't there. I actually changed my reservation to the Plaza. It just worked out better for the autograph signings in Time Square." Paul explained. He wanted to make sure that he explained himself to his wife's family so that they wouldn't jump to other conclusions about his whereabouts.

"What autograph signing? Dad said that you had a one day photo shoot." Shane replied.

"I left a message on the answering machine. I thought Steph was asleep and that she would get it. I was approached about doing an autograph signing session for a grand opening."

"Well you can explain all that to Steph when you see her. She's been worried sick about you. She never got the message that you were going to do another media appearance. She's really upset." Shane explained.

"Shit, well I'll be at the hospital in five minutes."

Stephanie lay in a hospital bed. She had been moved to a private room when the released her from the emergency room. She was being kept at the hospital for observation where she was receiving IV fluids for her dehydration. While the intense vomiting had subsided, Steph still felt terrible. The doctor had told her what was wrong with her and her husband was nowhere to be found. Where was Paul? Steph hadn't heard from him since he called to check on her the day he left for New York. Didn't he know that she was admitted to the hospital? Wasn't he concerned about her?

It wasn't until now that Stephanie wondered why Paul was staying in New York for so long. Before now, she had been severely under the weather. Now that she was physically feeling better, she was questioning her husband's activities of the past two days. She knew very well that the photo shoot was only a one day thing. How could he possibly explain why he stayed in New York another day?

"Hey sweetheart…" Paul muttered in a whisper as he slowly entered the hospital room. In his right hand was a bouquet of red roses and in the other hand was a rectangular shaped gift wrapped in red shiny paper.

"Where have you been Paul?" Steph replied in a soft voice. She was staring at him with worried eyes. She was terrified at what his response might be. She studied his face for any hint of guilt or remorse.

"I had another media appearance lined up. I left a message at home but I guess you didn't get it. Are you okay, baby? I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you. I would have come right away if I found out just how sick you were." Paul explained walking further into the room.

"You said that you were only going to be gone for a day. You promised…" Steph whispered, her voice beginning to crack as she began to get teary eyed thinking about her husband's unfulfilled promise.

"I'm sorry honey, but look, I didn't forget about our anniversary. After the media appearance, I went shopping for the perfect anniversary gift for you. I felt bad about staying in New York the extra day and I wanted to make it up to you." Paul whispered in a soothing voice when he handed her the small present after laying the bouquet on the hospital bed.

Stephanie's face remained unchanged. She was having a hard time buying into her husband's sweet demeanor after everything she had been through and his mysterious absence. She was sick and tired of his radical changing personality. It was like she never knew how he was going to treat her. She stared down at the gift that was now in her hand. Was this gift just a thoughtful present from her loving husband on their anniversary or was it something else? Could it be that Paul was feeling bad about something and had bought her a present to mask his guilty conscience?

"Go ahead, honey, open it." Paul whispered with a smile as he watched Steph examine the wrapped present.

Slowly, Steph opened the gift to reveal a black velvet case. It was obviously a jewelry piece. It hadn't been the first time that Paul bought her jewelry for a special occasion. She remembered the beautiful ring he had given her when Aurora was born.

"Do you like it? I saw it in a display at Tiffany's. I thought it would look exquisite around your neck." Paul said with a smile when Stephanie eyed the diamond necklace.

She smiled weakly at the beautiful necklace. The diamonds looked to be flawless and were accompanied by rubies and sapphires in the center of the necklace. Her enchantment with the necklace was short lived as she slowly closed the box and looked away from his gaze.

"What's the matter? You don't like it?" Paul asked surprised by his wife's sudden loss of interest in the gift.

"Paul, I want you to look at me…Look me right in the eyes and tell me that you've been nothing but faithful to me these past two days." Steph muttered as she looked right at his face. Her blue eyes sparkled from the tears beginning to form in them.

"What? Steph, where is this coming from? You don't trust me? How can you even accuse me of that? You know I love you more than anything in the world." Paul replied. He was somewhat upset by his wife questioning his fidelity.

"We need to be completely honest with each other, Paul. I love you and I want more than anything in the world for us to be happy. We can't move forward with this marriage if you won't be honest with me." Steph explained as she wiped away a tear.

"Steph, do you really think I would be that stupid? Why would I risk ruining what we have together? Whatever sickness you are getting over must have made you paranoid. That's the only way I can describe your behavior right now." Paul replied looking right into her crying eyes.

"I had something called, Hyperemesis Gravidarum. It's a severe form of morning sickness. The doctor doesn't really know the cause but he thinks it might have to do with abnormal levels of stress." Steph whispered.

"Morning sickness?" Paul quickly replied as if he had heard wrong.

"I'm pregnant, Paul…." Stephanie muttered through tears. "We're having another baby."

"Really, is the doctor sure? I mean, it's only been a week since the last time we made love. Isn't that a little early to know for sure?" Paul questioned sitting down on the side of the hospital bed.

"He did a blood test when I was in the emergency room…Aren't you happy?" Steph asked through tears as she studied his face for any sign of happiness or excitement.

"Of course I am. It's just this news came out of nowhere. It just caught me off guard, that's all. I mean, Aurora isn't even two years old yet and we've been having some problems dealing with parenthood and how it fits into our lives as a couple." Paul pointed out taking Steph's hand in his.

"I know but I just can't help but be so happy. I love you so much Paul and I love our new unborn baby." Steph replied with a smile as she placed her free hand over her abdomen. A few more tears of happiness cascaded down her face.

Paul was completely shocked by the news. Stephanie was going to give him another child. If he thought that their life had been complicated when they had Aurora, then it was going to really get turned upside down with another baby brought into their lives. Was she now going to have even less time for him now? He couldn't allow himself to wonder about that right at this moment. He could see how overjoyed Steph was about the pregnancy. After everything she must have gone through the past few days, he owed it to her to be a loving and supportive husband.

"Wow, well, hey, who knows, maybe this time we'll have a little boy. Having a little guy to carry on the Levesque name would be nice." Paul whispered with a weak smile as he gently brushed Stephanie's hair away from her face.

"Really? You're really happy about this?" Steph asked with a big smile. She was pleased by her husband's reaction to the news. Her biggest fear was that he would be upset after all the times he had blown off the possibility of her being pregnant.

"Yeah, I mean, if you're happy about this, then I'm happy." Paul whispered back before giving his wife a peck on the lips.

"I'm so happy! I'm so happy that you're happy! I love you!" Steph shrieked taking her husband into her arms for a hug. Paul hugged his wife back as he heard her continue to cry tears of joy. With his hand he slowly rubbed her back.

As he held her in his arms, Paul couldn't help but think how his life was going to further change by bringing another child into the family. Being honest to himself in his thoughts, Paul knew that having another child with Stephanie was the last thing that he had wanted to do. It wasn't that he didn't love his wife. He loved Stephanie just as much as the day he married her. It was the fact that their relationship had been on the rocks the past few weeks. If they couldn't stay consistently happy as a couple, how was their marriage going to survive the birth of yet another child?


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Fifteen

"Congratulations grandpa!" Stephanie exclaimed holding her arms out stretched to her father.

"Oh Steph, I can't wait to meet my newest grandbaby! I'm so happy you're feeling better." Vince replied. His voice booming and filled with enthusiasm at the prospect of being given another grandchild.

It was Sunday afternoon. Stephanie and Paul had arrived on time for the No Mercy pay per view. Vince had refrained from putting Paul on the pay per view card. Shawn had a singles match with Chris Jericho so he couldn't put together a DX tag team match. Paul's job leading up to No Mercy was to make Randy Orton look good going into his title match with the WWE champion John Cena.

"Hey Vince, can I talk to you for a second?" Paul asked before shifting Aurora to his other arm. It was obvious that she had missed her daddy when he was in New York for she preferred being held by him all morning.

Paul's words made Vince's smile lessen. He gave his son-in-law a quick nod before he turned his attention to his newly pregnant daughter. He gently placed a hand on her arm and asked her if she could go and check on the progress of her writing staff. Vince had sent them off to polish the final script.

"I hope this is about why you felt the need to take it upon yourself to stay in New York an extra day when my daughter was sick at home." Vince began as soon as Stephanie left the backstage room.

"No it isn't and for the record, Vince, I didn't even know that Steph was so sick. If I knew it was that serious, I wouldn't have agreed to do that autograph signing." Paul clarified. He was quick to point out his logic and reasoning behind his decision to stay in New York.

"Who authorized that? Who gave you permission to stay in New York to do that signing?" Vince asked with his eyebrows narrowed. He was obviously trying to prove a point. He didn't know why Levesque thought he had the power to create his own working schedule. Vince had never given Paul the impression that he did…Did he?

"No one gave me permission. I just wanted to do it. I needed the time in New York to myself. You know how family life can get. Look, what I want to talk to you about is the WWE title match." Paul began, switching topics quickly before Vince could pursue the topic any further.

"What about the title match?" Vince asked raising an eyebrow. He folded his arms waiting for his son-in-law to continue. He had more than an inkling as to where Paul was going with the conversation yet he was going to wait and see how he presented it to him.

"Well with the news of Stephanie being pregnant with our second child and everything we've been going through. I could really use a WWE title run now. You know how I thrive professionally when I have that gold around my waist." Paul explained as Vince's eyes settled on his granddaughter as she babbled smiling up at her daddy while he held her.

"You're asking me to throw away a month of building Randy Orton up as the guy to take the strap off of Cena?" Vince replied cocking his head to the side. He wasn't seeing the correlation between Paul's professional life and his life with Stephanie.

"You don't have to. You could have me feud with Orton after I win the belt in a triple threat match tonight. Please Vince, it would mean a lot to me and Stephanie. Think of this as a gift to us in celebration of the new baby." Paul said in a quiet tone of voice as if he was telling him a secret that he didn't want anyone else to hear even though they were the only two adults in the room.

Vince studied his son-in-law's face carefully. Paul's expression only showed how much winning the World Wrestling Entertainment championship meant to him. But did Stephanie really care about him taking the gold too? Levesque had tried to make it seem like both he and Stephanie came up with the idea for him to be put into the main event but Vince knew it was solely his idea. Still, making Paul happy could only indirectly keep Stephanie happy. Maybe with Paul as WWE champion, he would be in a much better mindset to care for Stephanie the next several months through her second pregnancy. Steph deserved to have the love and support from her husband and if her father could somehow guarantee her that, he was sure going to try.

"All right, you've got your title win. I want you to make Orton and Cena look good in that match though. You're leading the match so I expect nothing less than a stellar performance."

"I'll do my best. You know I can only do so much though. The boys have to meet me half way. Do you want me to go break the news to Orton?" Paul offered.

"No, I'm going to do that personally. It wouldn't be a good idea for you to do it. I don't want any more unnecessary resentment stemming from this then there already will be. Orton was looking forward to a title reign." Vince commented.

"Oh well, he'll get over it. Here, do you want to take her? I'm going to put my gear in the locker room."

Paul quickly handed his daughter over to Vince so that he could head over to the top stars' locker room where Shawn Michaels was already getting settled into the locker room for the pay per view. Shawn noticed his best friend enter the locker room.

"Hey I hear congratulations are in order!" Michaels exclaimed giving Paul a swift pat on the back.

"She told you about the pregnancy? Who else is she telling?" Paul quickly replied showing his surprise. He didn't know that Stephanie was already telling people backstage that she was pregnant. She had waited until she was a few months along with Aurora before she made the announcement backstage. Why broadcast the pregnancy now? Especially after all the problems that had been having as of late.

"I don't know. Hey, why the attitude? You should be elated. God blessed you with another child to love. Children are such a blessing to a marriage. I remember when Rebecca told me that she was pregnant with Cheyenne…" Shawn said feeling a whiff of sentiment consume him when he thought about his daughter.

"Spare me the antidotes…I've got something more important to focus on tonight….Winning the WWE championship for the sixth time. I had to do some fancy foot work to claim my rightful spot in the main event. Do you believe Vince had me sitting out this pay per view? He forgets who I am." Levesque said forcefully, showing his annoyance with his father-in-law's initial decision for the pay per view main event.

"You can honestly tell me that you are more focused on an insignificant WWE title match more than your wife's pregnancy?" HBK asked not understanding where his DX buddy was coming from.

"I don't know how I feel about the pregnancy, okay? I love Steph but I'm not sure bringing another child into our family is the best thing right now. She's so damn bitchy and hell bent on putting parenthood ahead of everything…even me. How can things get better between us if she's taking care of yet another baby? She's only going to further neglect me." Paul muttered forcefully unzipping his duffle bag.

"What are you saying? You don't want the baby?"

"Hey, I didn't say that! Don't put words in my mouth! The thing is that we didn't even plan this one!"

"Well that happens sometimes. You have to plan for the unexpected." Shawn pointed out.

"Yeah…well it was unexpected."

"My first ultrasound of the baby is in three weeks. The OBGYN can then tell me when the baby's due. I'm so excited! This pregnancy is like a breath of fresh air!" Stephanie exclaimed as she told a member of her writing staff.

Paul was walking up to her when he heard her telling the writer about the pregnancy. Subtle yet firmly, he grabbed her arm at the elbow and brought his mouth to her ear. He was careful how he did this because he did not want to cause a scene but he always wanted to get his wife's attention.

"Are you going to broadcast it on CNN? What happened to keeping the news within the family until later in the pregnancy?" Paul asked in a low voice through gritted teeth.

"For the first time in weeks, I'm having a good evening. Please don't spoil it." Stephanie whispered looking into her love's hazel eyes that were solely focused on her. He looked like he wanted to say something back that would only make the situation escalate, but he didn't.

"I'm going to go get Aurora from Dad. He said that he has a script change." Steph whispered before taking her husband's hand off her arm. She gave her husband a weak smile before walking away from him.

"That title win was mine…Where the hell do you get off taking that from me?" Orton asked walking up to where Paul was still standing in the backstage hallway. It was obvious that Vince had filled him in on the changes to the main event match for the pay per view.

"What makes you think that I was behind the changes to the match? No one tells Vince McMahon what to do." Levesque pointed out.

"Bullshit Levesque! You pissed in his ear and convinced him to cast me off to the side when it was mine time to shine! I've worked my ass off for a month to become WWE champion for the first time. I've been the world heavyweight champion but never the WWE champ! I told my father that I was winning the belt tonight!" Randy hollered causing bystanders to look in their direction.

"Please calm down. Maybe you're forgetting who gave you your push all month along to get to this pay per view. Maybe you're forgetting who allowed you to be a part of his faction a few years ago. Evolution jump started your career and that was all because of me. You should be happy to even be in the same ring with me tonight, you ungrateful little shit. If you want the title you have to earn it with respect and hard work. I didn't see an ounce of respect from you and I'm sure Vince didn't either." Paul said in a whisper so that those around them couldn't make out his reply.

Levesque flashed a smirk as if to put the exclamation point on what he said. Randy Orton's chest was heaving as he was trying desperately to hold onto the small shred of self control he had left. Paul could see that Orton wanted to initiate a physical altercation right then and there but he wasn't going to. At least the young third generation superstar was smart enough not to let his temper get the best of him.

So Paul was put into the main event making the WWE championship match a triple threat. Vince had instructed Paul to get the winning pedigree on John Cena since he did not want Randy Orton's credibility as a contender tarnished by a loss. The match went on full force. Most of the crowd was on their feet while all three wrestlers lay on their backs in the ring. The referee began the count as Triple H slowly got to his feet with the help of the ring ropes. Just as planned, Cena was too starting to get up. This was Paul's cue to go for the kick to the gut to start off the pedigree.

"All right, comment on the pedigree thunderous pedigree before he goes for the cover!" Vince said into his headset as he sat in the back at his work table. He was talking directly to Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler.

"What the hell is he doing?" Vince asked aloud when he saw that Paul was not going for the cover but was instead lifting Randy Orton to his feet. The match should have been over with a pin on Cena. What was Paul doing picking up Orton off the mat.

"Shit, just go with whatever he does!" Vince hollered into the headset as he watched with his eyes glued to the small monitor screen on the table in front of him.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Orton whispered as he was leaning his body over Paul's while being lifted to his feet.

"Are you ready to take the dive, Orton?" Paul replied in a whisper that was masked by his long damp hair. With that, he gave Orton a stiff knee to the gut and set up his pedigree which he quickly nailed and went for the cover.

"What the hell is he doing? God damn it!" Stephanie overheard her father yell as she stood nearby in front of one of the monitors with a group of wrestlers behind her. It was normal for all the boys in the back to watch the main event unfold from the backstage area and tonight was no different. They were whispering among themselves knowing full well that Paul had gone against what had been rewritten in the script. Even Stephanie couldn't believe that her husband had done that. He had always had respect for Vince's creative decision and had never tried to alter his vision of what World Wrestling Entertainment should be.

"Triple H has proven once again why he is the Cerebral Assassin! A pedigree on John Cena wasn't enough! He dropped the Legend Killer Randy Orton and pinned him for the win!" Jim Ross commentated for the viewers.

Triple H stood on the middle ropes raising the World Wrestling Entertainment championship high in the air with a huge grin on his face. He relished the feeling of reigning supreme in the company. Behind him were two superstars that he had just demolished for the championship gold because he wanted to. He owned the squared circle.

Stephanie was wide eyed as she observed her husband celebrating winning the WWE title for the sixth time. It was the happiest she had seen him look in months. Maybe the happiest she had seen him since the day Aurora was born. Did a single inadament object made out of leather and gold really mean that much to him?


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Sixteen

"Do you like Daddy's shinny belt?" Paul asked his baby daughter as he held her and the championship belt in his arms. Aurora giggled, her eyes widening while Paul moved the shiny belt back and forth so that the light of the room could reflect on it. He was sitting on the bed with Aurora in his lap.

"I can't believe you just walked right passed Dad after the show. You didn't even listen to what he had to say." Steph said. She was sitting right next to her husband on the bed in luxury bus.

She was surprised to see her husband walk right passed her irate father when he entered the backstage area after the cameras stopped rolling. Not surprisingly, Vince has in one of his moods. The way he got when the show didn't go the way he wanted it to. His beet red face and pulsating veins as he spoke in his loud booming voice didn't even make Levesque blink while he casually walked with the shiny title belt on his shoulder toward the parking lot where the bus was parked.

"What was there to listen to? He was just going to bitch me out because he didn't like my decision to have Orton do the job. I've got a reputation to protect, Steph. How's it going to look if Randy Orton talks down to me in front of the boys in the back and then goes over me cleanly? Maybe Vince is okay with that, but I'm not." Paul explained taking his eyes off of his little girl and focusing them on his pregnant wife.

"I don't understand why you're taking all this so personal. This is business, Paul. Our business…It would behoove you to listen and abide by Dad's decisions. He's the one who made World Wresting Entertainment into what it is today." Steph replied trying to be the voice of reason as she watched her husband begin to change Aurora's diaper.

"And I didn't have a hand in building the business? Why do you always take his side over mine?" Paul hollered in anger as he looked up from changing Aurora and pointed in the direction of the All State arena where Vince was still ranting and raving at his staff.

"I'm not taking his side over yours! I love you Paul. You know I am first and for most your wife. Please try and calm down, you're going to scare Aurora." Steph said in her best calm and soothing voice. She hoped that if she remained calm that Levesque would settle down before his temper escaladed.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I just get so aggravated. I'm so tired of constantly having to look over my shoulder to make sure none of the new punks in this business try and take my spot in the company. As if I haven't earned my right to permanently be perched at the top of the company like Vince does with Calaway on SmackDown. Fucking WrestleMania undefeated streak…" Paul said through gritted teeth. His volume had decreased by the intensity behind his words was still evident.

"Forget about the business for right now, okay? Can't we just have a nice night together? You're the WWE champion, just like you wanted. Aurora is happy and healthy and we're going to have another baby. This should be the happiest time of our lives. Why can't you enjoy it?" Steph whispered placing a hand on her husband's shoulder as he slowly lowered his head to gaze upon his daughter who was smiling up at him.

"Dada." Aurora called out when she locked eyes with her father. Paul couldn't help but crack a smile after hearing his little girl's sweet voice call out to him. She was such a happy little girl.

Despite all the problems her parents were having, she was obviously content to be with them. At the tender age of one, she had no awareness of her parents' recent marital problems. All that Aurora cared about was being fed and changed along with love and affection from both Stephanie and Paul.

"Do you want me to put her to bed?" Stephanie offered when she saw that Paul had finished changing her diaper and putting her in her pajamas.

"No, it's okay, I think I'll do it." Paul replied getting up from the bed leaving his championship belt where he was sitting. Gently, he picked up his daughter and walked her into the small nursery.

Stephanie's face formed a smile. She loved seeing Paul playing the role as the loving father that she knew he was. It was when he acted like his old self that Steph felt she could look past all his selfish behavior the past few weeks. Paul Levesque behaving like his old self, the man she married, gave her hope that they were just going through a rough patch in their marriage and that it was coming to an end.

"Did she go down easy? She must have been tired." Steph said when Paul returned to their small bedroom on the bus.

"Yeah she was fading fast when I laid her down in her crib. How does this title belt look on me? What do you think?" Paul asked picking up the championship belt and posing with it at the foot of the bed for his wife to comment.

"It looks good. Now come to bed. It's late." Steph said in a whisper as she pulled back the covers on the bed allowing herself to get into bed. She was tired and wanted to call it a night.

"Yeah, I'll come to bed. Maybe we could celebrate this title win. You know, like we did the last one." Paul replied with a smirk laying the belt down on a nearby chair before he removed his t-shirt.

"We can't do that right now honey." Stephanie explained as she watched Paul shed his clothing. She knew exactly what he wanted.

"Why can't we have some fun? Come on, we haven't had sex in weeks. I want you." Paul whispered seductively as his naked body slipped into his side of the bed. He quickly slid over to Steph and planted a few soft kisses on her lips.

"The doctor in the ER said that with Hyperemesis Gravidarum in the first week of pregnancy I have to be careful the first several weeks. It was something about how delicate the zygote is when it first implants itself on the uterus wall. The doctor said it would be a good idea to not have sex or do any strenuous activity just until we get through the first critical phase of prenatal development." Stephanie explained using all the terms the doctor had during his assessment in the emergency room.

"You're kidding me, right? How is making love going to hurt the baby? That's an old wives tale, Stephanie. I'll be gentle, I promise." He said as his hand advanced down her body.

"I'm being serious, honey. I want to go with the doctor's advisements. It's just a few weeks. I just don't want anything to happen to the new baby. We could still fool around with some foreplay if you want just no intercourse." Steph explain bringing her hands to her husband's face.

Paul closed his eyes for a moment. He couldn't help but be disappointed in the fact that he would not be able to have sex with his wife until she got through the first several weeks of the pregnancy. This only illustrated how another baby was already affecting their marriage negatively.

Levesque exhaled before opening his eyes to look directly into his wife's eyes. He could sense how excited she was about having another baby. It was evident in her voice when she talked about it. Maybe to Stephanie it was a chance for them to go back to square one. Perhaps she thought that a new child could only enhance their family and love for each other. Paul was having a hard time buying into this idea when they couldn't even make it work with just one child. Still, he wanted to give it a shot. Steph's happiness meant more to him than anything.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I can deal with it. I love you and I want you and the baby to be healthy." Paul whispered with a smile while he gently brushed Stephanie's hair away from her face. Steph flash a broad smile before leaning forward and kissing her husband on the lips. It was a passionate kiss that didn't last long for it was Paul who broke it.

"Let's just go to bed. Being pregnant, you need your rest. I don't want you to get sick." Whispered Paul as his hand fiddled with the necklace he bought her that was hanging around her neck.

The next day, the Levesque family arrived at the Conseco Fieldhouse arena in Indianapolis Indiana. Paul was still getting his gear unloaded from their bus for RAW when Stephanie stood outside of the arena and dialed Karen Angle's home phone number into her cellular phone. Despite Paul wanted to keep the pregnancy hush-hush, Stephanie felt that Karen deserved to hear the great news since she had given her such great advice a few weeks ago. When the phone finally picked up after a few rings, it was Kurt Angle's voice that was on the other line.

"Oh hi Kurt, I was calling to talk to Karen, is she there?" Steph asked politely before glancing at her diamond incrusted watch.

"Hi Steph, no she's not. Karen and the kids are spending the week with Karen's parents. It's one of the weeks we don't have TNA Wrestling obligations. How are you doing?" Kurt replied inquiring about his former coworker.

"I'm doing great thanks. I just found out that I'm pregnant. Why aren't you spending the week with Karen and the kids?" Steph asked before realizing how nosey she sounded asking Kurt a personal question.

"Um, well, Karen and I are struggling a bit lately. We're around each other so much more than we have ever been since we've been married. Congratulations on being pregnant. Sounds like 

things are better between you and Paul. I'm happy for you. I know how much you love the guy. Anyway, I'll tell Karen you called."

"Thank you, Kurt. You're such a sweet guy. Feel free to call me anytime if you need someone to talk to, okay? I'm not like my dad. I'm not going to turn my back on you just because you work for another company now. You and Karen were so nice to me and I'm not going to forget that." Stephanie said not noticing her husband approaching her from behind with Aurora.

"Why the hell are you talking to Kurt Angle? Since when is the pregnancy any of his business?" Paul asked forcefully the second he placed his hand on Stephanie's arm causing her to jump in place.

"Shit, you scared the shit out of me!" Steph exclaimed turning to face her husband.

"I have to go, Kurt. You have a good day….Bye." She said into her cell phone before ending the call.

"I'll ask you again, why are you talking to him? Why did you tell him about being pregnant?" Paul inquired again as Steph quickly took Aurora from her husband when she began to fuss.

"I called to talk to Karen but she wasn't there. Kurt happened to answer. What's wrong with telling the Angles about the pregnancy? Karen was really nice to me and gave me some great advice when they visited Mom and Dad's beach house a few weekends ago." Stephanie explained while beginning to rock Aurora in her arms in an attempt to soothe her.

"When the hell was this?" Paul asked wearing a look of confusion.

"The weekend you decided you didn't want to come to Florida because you had a hair across your ass about going to SmackDown."

"Let's not relive it! I don't think your dad would approve of you talking to Kurt Angle and I don't either. He's not in WWE anymore so you have nothing to say to him!" Paul told his wife as he got in her personal space.

"I don't think Dad would approve of what you pulled in the main event last night. Neither you nor Dad can tell me who I can talk to and be friendly with. I don't know why you are getting upset about this. It's almost like you were jealous or something. I really don't understand you sometimes." Stephanie replied.

"Is there something I should be upset and jealous about, Stephanie?" Paul asked cocking his head slightly to the side as he studied his wife's face.

Levesque couldn't help up feel unnerved by the fact that his wife was still willing to be friendly with Kurt Angle. He could understand her being nice to Karen Angle. They were both women in the wrestling business so obviously they would have some common ground to socialize. But why was Steph talking to Kurt? Didn't she know about the stuff he was spewing to the media about her father? Why was Stephanie's pregnancy any business of Angle's? The Angles visiting the McMahon beach house? There was no way Vince would have allowed them to come to his house. Was Stephanie lying to him? Paul could only hope that she wasn't; especially after he was bending over backwards to try and make the best out of her being pregnant when their marriage already had its fair share of problems.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Seventeen

"You're jobbing tonight and I don't want to hear one damn word about it! I don't know who the hell you think you are taking it upon yourself to change the match ending!" Vince hollered as soon as he saw his son-in-law walking toward him backstage.

"Dad, please, you already told me about the tag match this morning. Do we really have to keep reliving last night?" Steph asked walking next to her husband who was still carrying Aurora along with his championship belt. His black duffle bag was hanging from his shoulder.

"I just did what the situation called for, Vince. I'm sorry if it wasn't what you had planned. Shawn and I will do the job for the Rated RKO." Paul told his father-in-law in a calm voice not bothering to look directly at Vince when he spoke.

"You're damn right you will! And it's going to be you who gets pinned by Orton! I expect the match to go down the way I say! Just try me again!" Vince yelled pointing his finger in Levesque's face.

Paul looked like he wanted to reply after McMahon's words sunk in but he didn't. Without saying a word, he handed Stephanie their daughter before walking away bound for the locker room.

"Did you hear that we're jobbing to Rated RKO tonight?" Shawn asked meeting up with Paul in the hallway leading to the locker room.

"I'm jobbing to Rated RKO tonight…This is Vince's way of punishing me for last night." Paul explained as he entered the empty locker room with his friend.

"Whatever possessed you to go against Vince's decision for the main event last night? I mean, I saw what went on backstage between you and Orton but come on. You can't go out there and make your own calls. You know that the business doesn't work like that." Michaels told Levesque, making it clear to him that he didn't approve of his actions at the pay per view.

"You know what, Shawn, I don't think I should have to justify myself especially to my best friend. All I have in this world is my family, my career, and my reputation. I'll be damned if I will let any of those three slip through my grasp." Paul muttered forcefully unzipping the duffle bag after plopping it down on a chair.

"What are you talking about? Things are going great for you. Stephanie and Aurora are doing well, you're expecting another child, and your career is doing great with a title reign. As far as your reputation, you're one of the most popular superstars in World Wrestling Entertainment. Enjoy life, Paul, because before you know it, you're facing the end of it." The Heartbreak Kid remarked.

"I can't turn a blind eye to things that have the propensity to keep me up at night. I caught Stephanie talking to Kurt Angle on the phone right outside of this arena earlier. She played the innocent but I had a distinct feeling that there is more to her recent association with him than she is letting on. She thinks I was born yesterday." Paul scoffed carelessly dropping his wrestling gear on the ground.

"Oh come on, Paul, you're being paranoid. You have not a single reason to suspect Stephanie of anything. So she was talking to him on the phone, so what? Maybe Vince or Shane put her up to trying to persuade him to consider leaving TNA and resigning with WWE? Have a little trust in your wife. Marriage is about trust." Shawn pointed out giving his younger friend a pat on the back.

"I'm going to go make a call. I'll be back in a few." Levesque muttered ignoring his friend's sound advice. He grabbed his cell phone out of the duffel bag and shuffled toward the door with his championship still in tow.

Michaels gave a single nod to show his understanding before cocking his head slightly to the side as he watched Paul leave the locker room. He wondered if Paul was really leaving the room to make a phone call or if he was making up a phony excuse to escape the current topic of conversation. It was worth noting that it wasn't the first time that Paul had left a backstage locker room in order to make a mysterious phone call that he never elaborated on. One thing was for certain, there was something going on with Paul Levesque and his long time friend, Shawn Michaels, couldn't effectively pin point what that was.

Stephanie had just finished the routine meeting with her creative team. Much to Vince's insistence, she had left Aurora in his care before making her way toward the locker room to meet back up with Paul. It was when she was right at the corner to turn down the hallway that led to the locker room that she heard her husband's voice. She stopped just before revealing herself from around the corner. Silently, she listened to what he was saying:

"Hey you, it's great to hear your voice. Yeah I know it's been a while but I've been so busy with work and family shit…You know I didn't forget about you...Oh really?"

Steph raised an eyebrow after hearing his words. Was it her or was her husband being a flirt? The sound of his voice only reminded her of when they were dating. It was the charming and witty flirting that Stephanie remembered most about all those late night conversations they had when they were trying to keep their relationship a secret from Vince. He just sounded so happy to be talking to whoever that person was.

"You saw the match, huh? How did I look?" Paul asked into his cell phone with a smile across his face. He liked what he heard as he spun around in place. He smirked at his shinny championship belt and gently brushed lightly clenched fingers of his free hand across the gold plate while he listened to the person on the other line.

Paul's eyes narrowed in suspicion when he saw the cast of a shadow slightly move on the backstage concrete floor. Who would be ease dropping in on his phone call?

"Hey, I've got to go. I've got to go get ready for my match tonight. Are you going to be watching?" He asked adjusting his title belt on his shoulder.

"I love you too. I'll talk to you later, okay? Bye…" He muttered before quickly snapping his cell phone closed as he walked the short distance to the end of the hall.

Turning the corner he found Stephanie standing against the wall with a blank stare on her face. He quickly gave a light chuckle and placed his cell phone back into his jean pocket before flashing his wife a smile.

"What were you doing standing here in the hall? I just got off the phone with Lynn. I told her that I would give her a call at the beginning of the week. She liked the match last night. See, I know what I'm doing when I call a match." Paul said before leaning forward and giving Stephanie a nice kiss on the forehead.

"You called Lynn?" Steph asked raising a single eyebrow as she slightly turned her head to the side. It was the McMahon family's signature expression when they weren't exactly sure about something that was said.

"Yeah…That's what I said. Where's Aurora?" He inquired placing each hand on either side of Stephanie's hips. His hands felt warm on her clothed body as she let a hand touch his hard chest that was covered by a Motorhead t-shirt. Her other hand, she placed on his championship belt.

"She's with Dad…" Stephanie replied in a mutter. She was now looking deep into her husband's radiant hazel eyes. The eyes of the man she was so in love with. She could only hope that the man behind those eyes, her husband, was being nothing but truthful to her.

"Are you okay, Steph? Are you feeling sick again? Do you want to go lay down?" Paul asked flooding her with questions that only a concerned and loving husband would make.

"No, I'm okay. I think it's the pregnancy hormones wreaking havoc with my body." Stephanie replied with a weak smile as she felt the touch of her husband's hand to her face.

"Okay, well I'm going to go get ready for the match tonight. I'll meet up with you in a bit. I love you." He whispered before pressing his lips firmly against hers.

Her husband's kiss allowed Stephanie to escape all of the paranoia and suspicion she had been feeling only a few seconds ago. It all melted away with the feverish passion that began to erupt between them when the kiss deepened. She had not a care in the world while in his arms. For a few brief moments, nothing else existed except for them.

The show went on according to planned and it was business as usual. The main event featuring Degeneration X and Rated RKO was, without a doubt, the best match of the night. World Wrestling Entertainment fans actually stood and cheered when the referee raised Orton's arm signaling his victory after the pin fall. Vince was satisfied in the fact that Levesque had actually stuck with the plan and had done what was demanded of him.

"I think she's teething again. She keeps sucking on her fingers." Steph reported to Paul as she sat on their bed on the tour bus with Aurora lying on the bedspread in front of her.

"Maybe she's hungry, when is the last time she ate?" Paul asked as he began to undress in preparation to take a hot shower.

"Not even an hour ago. I really think that she is teething. She's been drooling a lot lately. She feels a little warm." Stephanie commented placing her hand to her daughter's rosy little cheek.

"I'm sure that she's fine." Paul quickly replied before leaving their small bedroom for the bathroom.

"Mommy's got your little feet and I'm gonna eat them all up!" Steph exclaimed in a playful voice that caused Aurora's face to light up with a smile. She proceeded to bring her baby's small bare feet to her mouth and made a silly noise while opening and closing her lips against the bottoms of the baby's soft little feet which made Aurora burst out in laughter.

Her daughter's adorable laughter could only make Stephanie beam with pride and happiness. She loved hearing her baby laugh especially when she was the cause of it. This was sometimes an effective technique in order to make Aurora tired. She never let out a simple giggle but a big burst of laughter that made her whole little body shake.

Steph turned to the end table to her right to check the time. It was late and Aurora needed to be put down for the night. It was when she was looking at the nightstand that she noticed her husband's cell phone sitting right next to the alarm clock. With him in the shower, this was the perfect opportunity for her to stomp out all the unneeded worry about who Paul was actually talking to on the phone earlier that night. While she believed her husband, it would give her some piece of mind to know for sure.

"Steph, where's my shamp-" Paul quickly stopped mid word in the middle of his sentence when he walked into the room and saw his cell phone in his wife's hand.

"Why do you have my cell phone?" He quickly asked moving forward toward her with a white towel wrapped around his waist.

"I was going to take a picture of Aurora." Stephanie heard herself lie as she sat there on the bed wide eyed with Paul quickly approaching her.

"Don't lie to me. You were looking for something on my phone, weren't you?" Paul asked in a loud sharp tone of voice that caused Aurora to begin to fuss.

Before Stephanie could even begin to explain as to why she felt the need to look at his phone, it was snatched from her hand. She felt as if she were a child that had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar right before dinner. Steph began to feel a small bit of guilt for attempting to look his cell phone records. She had never considered herself a meddling wife.

"What did you think you were going to find on here? Huh? You don't see me taking your cell from your purse and looking for calls from Kurt Angle, do you? No, you don't! Because I trust you! Marriage is about trust! How can you expect us to ever get back to what we were if you can't trust me? You really are pathetic!" Paul yelled throwing his words at his wife as if they were daggers aimed directly at her heart.

Aurora began to cry when her daddy's volume intensified. She always became upset when her father raised his voice. As much as she loved her soft loving tone of voice, she was unnerved and frightened by his thunderous enraged tone.

"Go ahead, have fun looking for whatever you think is on there that I'm keeping from you!" Paul hollered before throwing the cellular phone onto the bed with force landing only inches away from where Aurora was lying.

"Paul, I'm sorry…" Steph muttered in a whisper as the tears began to flow from her eyes. Her words seemed to have no effect on him while he stormed out of the small bedroom slamming the door behind him with such force it could have broken its hinges.

"Shh, it's okay sweetheart…" Stephanie whispered through her tears picking up her baby daughter to comfort her. She only wished that someone would comfort her. She would have given anything for Paul to come back into the room and take her into his arms. That wasn't going to happen. She wiped away the streams of tears from both eyes.

"It's going to be okay, sweetie. Mommy's here." Muttered Steph while she slowly reached for Paul's cell phone that had bounced a few inches away from where Paul had thrown it.

She could feel her hand shaking as she navigated through the menus of the cell phone. She concentrated on taking deep breaths in order to gain her composure. And just as she was about to let out a full breath of air, she held it, reading the words printed across the screen:

_DIALED CALL HISTORY EMPTY_


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Eighteen

After the incident with Paul's cell phone, Stephanie was in somewhat of a haze for the rest of the week. It was almost like she wanted to pretend that it all had never taken place. This would be easy for Paul because the very next day, he acted completely normal and never mentioned it. As much as she tried though, Steph wouldn't be able to forget as easily as her husband. The suspicion about her husband's fidelity was like a splinter in her skin. While it was a small worry in her mind it was still there every day festering and becoming more of a burden.

"Hey babe, where are you going?" Stephanie asked watching Paul grab a water bottle from the refrigerator in the kitchen.

It was the weekend so they were at home in Greenwich. Paul's gym bag sat on the marble kitchen counter along with the keys to his Hummer. It was obvious that he was getting ready to go somewhere. Steph wanted to know where. It was bad enough that they spent most the week on the road or in the office. The weekends were supposed to be their time at home together as a family.

"I'm going to the local gym. I made arrangements with the owner to close it for me all morning." Paul muttered still looking in the fridge. He didn't even bother to turn and look at his wife when he spoke to her.

"Why are you going there? You have your own gym right here at home." Steph pointed out looking a bit confused.

Her words caused Levesque to roll eyes before slamming the refrigerator door shut. He didn't slam it with too much force; just enough to cause the large appliance to shake so that some of the food inside would fall over. This acting out had to be Paul's way of letting his wife know that he did not appreciate her inquiry.

"I'm going there for some peace and quiet. I need to be able to clear my head while I work out. I can't do that when the baby's screaming and crying all the time. Ever since she's started cutting the new teeth you haven't given me a moment's peace." Paul explained picking up the gym bag.

"I'm sorry Aurora's teething is causing you such inconvenience. I just need your help with her. When she gets so fussy I get overwhelmed. We're out of Baby Orajel. Can you pick me up a tube while you're out?" Steph asked trying to not let her husband's blatant complaining about her and the baby affect her. With Aurora just down for a nap, she didn't have much time to herself before the baby was going to wake up again.

"I will on the way back home…I'll see you later."

"Okay, bye, I love you." Steph replied. Her words were returned back to her in a mutter before Paul walked out the front door to his Hummer.

With Aurora asleep, Stephanie decided to use that time to her advantage and do some vacuuming. The Levesques usually had a housekeeping service to tend to the house cleaning but with all the stress she was under, Steph forgot to make the arrangements for the month of November.

She decided to start vacuuming in the front room and work her way to the back rooms of the huge house. It wasn't until she had to do the housekeeping that she realized how big the house really was. She definitely appreciated the maid service. Before starting up the vacuum, she decided to draw the curtains in order to give the room some natural sunlight. It was when she quickly glanced out her front room window that she saw Kurt Angle pull up in her driveway in a blue Audi A5. What was he doing there? Steph had spoken to Angle last week but there was no mention of him showing up at the house unannounced.

"Kurt? Hey, what are you doing here?" Steph asked stepping out of her front door just as soon as Kurt reached the steps to the front porch.

"Oh hey Steph, I didn't know if you were home or not. We're doing a house show in Connecticut and since I had a rental car, I thought I'd drop off this gift that Karen wanted to give you. I was just going to leave it on the porch." Kurt explained holding a rather large pastel painted gift bag that hid its contents with colorful tissue paper.

"Aw, thank you, Kurt. That's so sweet of Karen. How is she doing?" Stephanie inquired graciously receiving the gift bag.

"She's doing all right I guess. She left the present for me to take before leaving with the kids to go visit her brother for the day. I just flew out here today." Angle replied as he watched Steph pull out the good sized wrapped object from the bag and begin to unwrap it.

"Oh my God does Karen know how much I love bath salts? Oh wow, there's bubble bath, lotion, and an aloofa!" Steph exclaimed. She was genuinely appreciative about being given the gift basket.

"Karen told me that hot baths were an essential part of pregnancy. There's one more thing in the bag. It's something I picked out. It's a little something for your little angel." Kurt said with a smile. He looked like he was getting enjoyment out of seeing how happy she was to get the basket of bath products.

"Aw, that's so cute! It has her name printed on its tummy! Aurora will love it!" Stephanie gushed when she pulled a small pink teddy bear out of the bag. 'Aurora' was sown in gold letters on the bear's tummy personalizing the toy.

"I thought she would like that…" Kurt said flashing a smile before continuing.

"Listen, I'm sorry about showing up here unannounced. You must be thinking I'm a rude prick."

"No, not at all, are you kidding? You're one of the sweetest guys I know. Paul's at the gym until the afternoon. It's just me and Aurora and she's taking a nap. Do you want to come in and have some coffee?" Stephanie offered looking back toward the closed front door.

"Yeah sure, I'm not due at the arena until two o'clock anyway. Here, let me carry all this stuff for you." Kurt offered grabbing the gifts so that she didn't have to care them.

"Oh thanks, make sure you tell Karen that I said thank you. I'm going to have to send her a thank you note."

Kurt followed Stephanie into the house. Once in the vestibule, she quickly offered to take his leather coat. They both chuckled as Kurt struggled for a second as he tried to remove his arms from the coat while holding the gift basket and teddy bear. She was going to offer to hold the gifts but he quickly managed to remove the coat.

"I'm surprised you remembered where we live. You only were here once I think. You were here for a Christmas party, right?" Steph asked trying to remember the last time he was at the house. It had to have been a long time ago.

"Yeah, I think it was the Christmas right after you and Paul bought the house. It's a very nice house." Kurt complimented when they walked into the kitchen.

Stephanie was all smiles as she began to set up the coffee maker. She was kind of happy Kurt showed up at the house. The idea of being by herself for the whole morning while taking care of her teething one year old, was somewhat depressing to her. At least Kurt could provide her with some company for the morning.

"I'm glad that things are working out between you and Paul. You really deserve to be happy, Steph. I know Paul and I aren't really fond of each other but I really wish you guys the best. I mean that." Kurt confessed folding his arms as he leaned up against the countertop after he left the gifts there.

"Thank you but how are you and Karen?" Steph asked quickly changing the subject. She felt uncomfortable by Angle's naive assessment that her marriage was improving. If only he knew about half of the problems they were now facing. She had no intention of telling him. It was embarrassing that she couldn't make it work with the man she loved.

"Things haven't been that good actually…" Kurt replied lowering his head. He planted his tongue in his cheek as he contemplated how to describe what he and Karen were going through.

"It's a lot of things really. We're spending more time together than we ever did so we end up getting on each other's nerves quite a bit. And Karen's really struggling with trusting me after she found about the affair two years ago. Even though I came clean to her and I have been walking the straight and narrow ever since, I can tell that our marriage isn't the same as what it once was. And it's all my fault too. I had the perfect family; a beautiful wife who loved me and was pregnant with our second child at the time, and adorable little girl…I'd do anything to make it up to them." Angle confessed in a mutter. He was looking straight down at the kitchen floor. The way he was talking was if he was in a confessional booth at church.

It was a few seconds after he finished his last sentence that he looked back up. He was surprised to see that Stephanie had emotionally lost it. She held her hands over her eyes letting out a bellow of agony that made Kurt very uneasy.

"Are you okay? Jesus, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to unload my personal baggage onto you like this." Kurt said loud enough so that he could be heard over her crying. He was feeling like an asshole for even bringing up the recent marital problems he was having with Karen.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get emotional like this. It's like I'm walking around all the time with this huge grand piano hanging over my head and no matter what I do it's going to come crashing down on top of me." Steph muttered through her muffled crying. She was trying to keep it together in front of Kurt Angle but was failing miserably.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay. All pregnant women get emotional. It's just those wacky hormones. It's okay, come here." Kurt whispered taking her into his arms for a hug.

"I think Paul's having an affair…I don't have any concrete proof but I just feel like he is stepping out on me. He's just being so insensitive. It's getting so that sometimes he's completely unrecognizable…" Steph continued as she cried on Kurt's shoulder while he listened and held her in his arms.

"Steph, it's normal to be a little hypersensitive when you're pregnant. Paul loves you. He sees all the wonderful qualities in you that I see. You're beautiful, intelligent, caring, and you're a terrific mother." Kurt whispered as he began to rub her back in between her shoulder blades.

"He left the house this morning to escape me. What kind of a wife am I if my husband has to find excuses to leave his family? And here I am, blindly hoping that this new baby is going to fix everything. I'm hoping that Paul will go back to being the man I fell in love with. This new baby is going to be our future; a chance for a new start if he is just willing to take it." Stephanie cried as she unloaded everything that had been building up inside of her for the past several weeks.

"It's going to be okay. I'm sure Paul knows how lucky he is to have you and Aurora. If it's one thing I've learned from all the problems Karen and I have had, it's that family comes before everything else. When Paul holds his second child in his arms for the first time, he'll know that if he doesn't already." Kurt whispered feeling her tighten her grip around his neck before pulling away from the embrace.

"Kurt…" Steph whispered before breathing in deeply to deal with the small amount of nasal congestion.

"Yeah Steph?" Kurt answered back giving her a caring smile while using one of his thumbs to wipe away a single tear that had started to cascade down her face.

"Thank you for the pep talk. Karen is truly lucky to have you." She said returning a smile. Steph was the first to lean forward as Kurt followed suit and they gave each other a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Sounds like Aurora is finished with her nap." Kurt pointed out breaking the few seconds of silence that followed their quick exchange of affection.

"Yeah, I'll go take care of her if you want to finish making the coffee." Steph replied as she exited the kitchen to go and get her daughter from the nursery upstairs.

Paul exhaled slowly as he pulled down on the exercise bar with both hands. When the bar was at the level of his pecs, Paul slowly allowed the cable of the weight machine to retract while breathed in to complete the last rep of a set. He loved weight lifting. It was always the perfect means of escape from anything and everything that was going in his life. The sound of an incoming call to his cell phone made him put his workout on hold. A smile formed on Levesque's face when he read the caller id on his cell phone.

"Hey, it's your little twin." Kurt commented when Stephanie reentered the kitchen with Aurora in her arms.

"Do you want to say hi to Kurt?" Steph asked Aurora watching her daughter's reaction to him. She was a little timid of Kurt. Even though she had been around him before, he wasn't someone she was used to. Kurt took this into consideration when he approached her and her mother.

"Hi Aurora, you're such a beautiful little girl just like your mommy. Check out your new friend I got for you." Kurt said in a nice soft voice as he held out the little stuffed teddy bear for Aurora to take.

Aurora's wet mouth quickly formed a smile as her eyes widen upon seeing the little pink teddy bear. She slowly reached out for the toy which Kurt gladly gave to her. Once the teddy was in her hands, Aurora gave it a kiss on its nose that quickly turned into a bite.

"She's teething. Could you hold her for me so I can serve the coffee?" Steph asked shifting Aurora to her other hip which was closer to Angle.

"Yeah sure, come here princess." Kurt said with a smile as he took Aurora into his arms. She looked back at her mother for a second before turning back to Kurt.

"Someone's got her mommy's beautiful hair and her pretty little nose." Kurt whispered before giving Aurora's nose a soft poke that caused her to giggle.

While Stephanie filled two coffee cups, she noticed how well Aurora was taking to Kurt. She was a little surprised because her daughter tended to not take well to people she wasn't used to. It was clear that Kurt knew just how to act and what to say to little girls. Kyra, his four year old, was an adorable little girl who was crazy about her daddy. Kurt had often told Steph in the past how he would spend his few days off playing with his baby girl.

"It's the new teeth she's cutting. Paul's supposed to be bringing back some baby Orajel." Steph explained when Aurora began to fuss and cry.

"Here, take her for a second, I know something we can try." Kurt directed. Stephanie took her daughter back and watched curiously as Kurt approached the kitchen sink and asked for a clean cloth. When she gave him one, Kurt immediately ran it under cold water.

"I did this a few times for Kyra. It seemed to help with the pain. I haven't had to do it for Kody yet." Angle explained wringing the wash cloth out so that it was left damp and not dripping wet. "Here, your finger in the cloth and rub her gums."

Stephanie did as Kurt instructed and was pleasantly surprised when Aurora's crying ceased. The baby let out a few little sighs as if to tell her mother that she was getting some relief. Aurora leaned her head up against her mom's chest when Steph removed her finger from her mouth.

"Now what you can do also is put an ice cube in the cloth and put a rubber band around it to hold it in place. She'll suck on that and it will give her relief."

"Kurt, you are a life saver. I'm so glad you stopped by today….We both are."

"I'm glad I stopped by too. Just remember that I'm here for you as a friend. Anything you need; someone to talk to or anything. You can call me. You still have my cell number, don't you?" Kurt asked touching Stephanie's arm while he spoke to her.

"Yeah, it's the same number that you had when you were in WWE, right?"

"Yeah, it is. So, hey, do you know when your new baby is due?" Kurt asked changing the subject as he stepped forward to be closer to where Steph was standing, closing the gap between them.

"No, I actually have my first OBGYN appointment this week. I'm sure she will be able to tell me when the baby will be due. I'm so excited. I love being pregnant. I know it's crazy but I think I can feel the baby already."

"Really? That's so cool." Kurt replied still staring into her eyes while he smiled.

"Yeah, here, see if I'm crazy." Steph told him grabbing his hand and placing it on her covered abdomen. Kurt gave a chuckle. He was then quiet while his large hand cupped across Steph's mostly flat abdominal area.

"Can you feel it or am I just full of shit?" Steph asked after a few seconds went by.

"What the hell is this?"

Both Stephanie and Kurt turned just in time to see Paul enter the kitchen. He let his gym bag fall to the floor while he looked back and forth between his wife and Kurt Angle. Paul was waiting for an explanation after seeing Kurt standing there with his hand placed on Steph's womb. What the hell was that? Levesque had snuck in the house because he thought his child was asleep. The last thing he had wanted to do was to wake up Aurora when she so irritable. Him sneaking into the house must have caught his wife and her "friend" by surprise.

"Hey Paul, how are you doing? I was in Connecticut for a house show and I stopped by to give some gifts after hearing the good news." Kurt explained holding his hand out for Paul to shake. It was the very same hand that had been on Steph's abdomen.

"What good news would that be, Angle?" Paul asked eyeing Kurt's extended hand. He wasn't going to shake it. He couldn't believe the nerve of Kurt Angle. Angle had shown up at his home while he wasn't there to flirt with his wife. Levesque had caught Stephanie this time.

"Stephanie being pregnant is the good news, congratulations." Kurt said looking over at Steph with a smile as he retracted his hand.

"Angle, don't you have somewhere to be? Maybe you can go and be with your own wife and stay the hell away from mine."

"Paul!" Steph yelled, her eyes widening in shock because of her husband's hateful comments to Kurt Angle.

"It's fine, Steph. I should be getting back to the hotel. I need to do some things before the taping tonight. You guys have a good day." Kurt said politely when he turned to look back at Paul.

Levesque was staring him down as if he was going to intimidate him. It wasn't going to work. Stephanie could sense that there was a confrontation building between her husband and friend. Her wide eyes darted back and forth between the two before she finally spoke up.

"Kurt, let me get your coat for you." Steph offered as she took a step toward the hallway where the coat was hung but was held back by her husband.

"Angle can find his coat in the hall closet on his way out the door." Paul muttered as Stephanie slowly shook her head at him. She was completely embarrassed by her husband's rudeness. He had no idea how much of a help Kurt was to her today.

"Bye Steph, you take care." Kurt said giving her a weak smile before walking down the hall to grab his leather coat on his way to exit the house.

"Bye Kurt…" She whispered back just loud enough that he would hear it from where he was standing down the hall.

Paul just stood there staring at his wife until he heard the front door open and then close. Once the Levesque family was left alone, he began to pace around the kitchen a few times before beginning his jealous inquiry. His eyes fell upon the gift basket that sat on the kitchen counter.

"Is this from him?" Paul asked as he pointed in disgust at the bath product basket. Why was Kurt Angle giving his wife bubble bath and lotion for her body? Steph was hiding something about her relationship with Angle. A gift like that was something a guy would give the girl he was dating.

"Paul, no! Please stop!" Steph hollered as soon as Paul grabbed the basket and threw it across the kitchen. It landed with a crash against the far wall breaking the wicker basket as all the products spilled onto the floor. Stephanie began to tear up. She hated when Paul lost his temper and threw himself around.

"And what the hell is this? Did he buy this for our child? Give me this!" Levesque hollered snatching the teddy bear right from his own child's hands. This time it was Aurora who began to wail as she outstretched her arms showing her attachment to the stuffed animal.

"I go to the gym for a few hours and I return to find you with Kurt Angle in my house!" Paul screamed as he threw the pink teddy bear as hard as he could out the sliding glass doors and into the yard.

"Why are you being this way? She loved that teddy bear! Who cares if it was Kurt who gave it to her?" Steph yelled matching her husband's volume while she held her inconsolable child close to her.

"He's not to step foot in my house ever again! Do I make myself clear?" Levesque asked getting into his wife's face while he tightened every muscle in his body out of pure rage and anger.

"This is my house too and if I want to invite a friend in for a fucking cup of coffee I will! You have no reason to be acting this way! Nothing was going on when you came in!"

"Nothing was going on? I walk in my house and I see Kurt Angle with his hands all over my wife's stomach! I see him caressing the very spot where my wife's unborn child is growing! How the hell do you think it looks, Stephanie? Huh?" He screamed causing Aurora's screaming and cry to only further intensify.

"Don't you trust me, Paul? Marriage is about trust like you said, right? You expect me to trust you when you refuse to believe me when I say that nothing was going on with me and Kurt while you were at the gym! I'm trying to make our marriage work not destroy it! If anything, I think I care more about us then you do!" Steph cried getting right back in her husband's face as she vented what exactly was on her mind.

"You know what, to hell with this, I'm going up to take a shower. I'm sick of looking at you." He muttered before turning his back on his pregnant wife and one year old daughter.

Paul Levesque was fuming as he stormed up the grand staircase. Not only was Stephanie inviting Angle into their home when he wasn't there but she was actually defending her behavior. She didn't' see anything wrong with it. Kurt Angle really had a lot of balls to stand there and look him in the eyes after being caught with his hands on another man's wife. What was up with the gifts? Was he trying to steal not just Stephanie's affection but baby Aurora's as well? Kurt was most definitely a threat to him. He was trying to horn in on his family.

Stephanie sobbed as she gently set an upset Aurora down on her feet so that she could pick up the mess Paul had created with the Angles thoughtful gift to her. She couldn't believe how easily her husband was able to turn his back on his family. His words hurt her right to the very core of her being.

Even though she was extremely upset with his behavior, she still knew she loved him. His recent foul behavior aside, he still looked like her Paul. The Paul Levesque she had fallen in love all those years ago when they started working together on the show. It was the hope that things could go back to the way they once were that allowed Steph to keep her sanity. Looking forward to the future of the family her and Paul had built together was what kept her optimistic. With a new life growing inside of her, she knew that there was a chance for a fresh start.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Nineteen

Stephanie brushed off the pink teddy bear before putting it in one of the draws of Aurora's changing table. She nestled the bear in between some of Aurora's pajamas for safe keeping. She had gone out into the backyard to retrieve the toy from where Paul had thrown it. She didn't want such a sweet and thoughtful gift to be ruined. Besides, Aurora liked the stuffed animal so she was saving it for her. Steph heard footsteps approaching the nursery so she quickly closed the draw. Stephanie couldn't let on to her husband that she had brought the teddy bear that Kurt had given Aurora back into their home.

"Hey…" Paul said in a whisper as he entered the nursery walking right over to the crib where Aurora was sleeping. He looked down at his sleeping baby. She looked so peaceful unlike when he had last seen her downstairs. Levesque knew that his behavior was the cause of his little girl's tears. It was his recent explosive temper that put fear in the one year old and his wife.

"I'm sorry about earlier…" He muttered before turning to look at his wife who was still standing by the changing table. While he was speaking softly, his voice was full of emotion which let Stephanie know that he meant what he said. He took a breath of air in before exhaling to continue.

"Paul, I don't understand why you're acting this way. It's getting to the point where I'm not sure how you're going to act. What's going on with you? It's like I don't know you anymore." Stephanie whispered as she began to tear up again. She wanted to keep her voice down so that she wouldn't wake her sleeping baby.

Levesque let out a long sigh before walking back across the nursery to his wife. He wanted to be closer to her when he was going to try and explain himself and his recent behavior. Despite how pissed off she was making him these days, he still needed to be able to level with her; at least as much as possible about his actions earlier in the day.

"The thought of you sneaking around behind my back with that Olympic jockstrap, Kurt Angle, just made me crazy. You're my wife, Stephy. I can't stand seeing another man touch you." Paul explained in a whisper as he brought his hand to her face. Stephanie nuzzled his hand. It was the first warm touch he had given her in what seemed like forever.

"Paul, I swear to you, there was nothing going on between me and Kurt. I would never do anything to hurt our marriage." Steph pledged before trying to look deep into her husband's hazel eyes. He looked away and down at the carpet floor.

"Who were you talking to last week on your cell phone backstage before RAW started? I mean, truthfully. Whose number did you have to delete from your phone? We have to be honest with each other. That's the only way we're going to get through this rough patch." Whispered Stephanie; finally asking him the questions that had been plaguing her for a week now.

Paul shook his head and stood there silent for a moment before his eyes quickly darted to a corner of the room and then directly at his wife. It only took him a second or two to gather his thoughts.

"Steph, I told you, honey. I was talking to Lynn. You have to stop with these paranoid thoughts. You know that pregnancy has that effect on you. Remember when you were pregnant with Aurora? You were sure that members of the writing team were leaking storylines to the internet. You bought expensive tracing software for everyone's laptop and it turned out to be all in your head." Levesque pointed out placing his hands on his wife's hips. He was smiling as he spoke.

"I know. I feel like I'm going crazy worrying. I just want everything to be perfect for our family. I want you to be true to me. I love you, Paul. I can't wait for us to welcome a new life into our family." Steph replied in a hushed voice as she placed her hands on her abdomen.

"I know you're excited, sweetheart. I'm sure a new baby is going to change everything. I'll make an effort to be the husband and father you want me to be." Levesque promised using a hand to brush away Stephanie's light brown hair away from her face.

Stephanie smiled after hearing her husband's promise. She quickly gave him a peck on the lips before taking him into her arms for a long embrace. This time, the tears streaming down her face were that of joy. The last time that had happened was when she found out she was pregnant with their second child. It was a huge relief being told by her husband that they were on the same page. As long as they were able to talk through their problems like they just did, their marriage would be fine. Steph had to believe that.

"Hey Vince, I think you should know about something." Paul said into the cordless phone while he paced back and forth on the back deck of his house. Stephanie had already gone to bed after putting Aurora done for the night.

"If this has anything to do with the RAW script for Monday night: save it. I run RAW how I see fit and I don't need you undermining me. Not only does it piss me off but it looks bad when we disagree in front of the employees." Vince said on the other line.

"No, it's not about the show. Kurt Angle showed up at my house today while I was at the gym. I think that there might be something going on between him and Steph. Do you know anything about this? Has Angle contacted you about coming back to WWE?" Levesque inquired. He hoped that Vince knew more about why Kurt was in Steph's life than he did.

"I personally haven't talked to the guy since he left WWE. But, he was at our Florida beach house last month. I only found out about it after the fact. I spent all of the weekend in my office so I can't tell you the details of that weekend. If you ask Steph, I'm sure she will fill you in." Vince explained.

Steph had mentioned that Kurt Angle visited her parents' home in Florida but Paul had quietly dismissed the idea because he didn't think Vince would have allowed it. Now hearing that it was true coming right from Vince McMahon's mouth, it made him wonder what exactly went on during that weekend in regards to Stephanie and Kurt. He had been on the outs with Steph that weekend. Was it possible that Steph cheated with Kurt while in Florida? Today's events along with the weekend in question made Paul wonder: What secret rendezvous did Steph have with Kurt Angle?

Levesque decided against bringing up this issue to Stephanie. While he was certainly not going to forget about it, his instincts told him that asking her about the weekend in question wouldn't be the best idea after his behavior earlier. After all, he just got done apologizing to her. With the OBGYN appointment on Tuesday morning, it was best if they go into it on the best possible terms.

Steph had wanted to reach out and contact Kurt after what happened at the house. She knew it would be the proper and mannerly thing to do but Stephanie couldn't do it. She was extremely embarrassed by her husband's behavior toward Angle. Kurt had been so sweet to reach out to her in friendship during her difficult time and what did he get in return? He was treated with such disrespect by her husband. How could she even begin to explain Paul's inappropriate behavior when she was still trying to make sense of her husband's flimsy excuses?

"You can see right there, that is your baby. He or she is approximately 5.6 millimeters long and has a nice steady heart beat as you can hear." The doctor explained pointing to the screen at the small blinking dot on the ultrasound monitor.

"I can't believe Aurora was once this size. It's amazing." Paul commented while staring at the embryo.

"The baby has a fast heart beat like Aurora did. Maybe we're having another girl." Steph said with a smile. The OBGYN printed out the necessary readings before turning off the machine and wiping the excess jelly off of Steph's abdomen.

"Steph, you know that there's no truth to a correlation between if the baby is a boy or a girl and their heart rate. A little boy would be nice." Paul muttered thinking for a moment at the possibility of having a son. If he was going to have to deal with less attention from his wife, at least that attention would go to a male heir.

Once Stephanie was able to change back into her clothes, she and Paul were led back into the OBGYN's office to discuss the information she had gathered during the ultrasound. Stephanie was all smiles taking Paul's hand into hers while waiting for the doctor to give her the baby's due date.

"Well let me start off by saying that everything looks good from the urine and blood test. No sign of any urinary tract infection or any other problems which is great. Judging by the size of the embryo, your child was conceived on either the sixth or seventh of October. This would make your due date July 28th." The female doctor said with a smile.

"The sixth or seventh?" Paul asked questioning the dates the doctor had given for the date of conception.

"Yes, the first weekend of October." She replied using her digital database planner as a reference. Stephanie looked over at Paul when he let go of her hand and shifted in his chair. She was wondering why he was so interested in the date the baby was conceived on.

"That first weekend you were in Florida with your parents. I didn't come with you." Paul muttered narrowing his eyes at his wife as the doctor looked on in surprise. Many thoughts began to race through his mind. The feeling of betrayal began to overwhelm him as his anger rose.

"That was also the weekend that Kurt Angle was with you, wasn't it?" Paul asked getting up from his chair. His muscular frame was tense. He was visibly shaking, trying to keep his anger in check.

"Yeah it is but-"

"It's his baby, isn't it? It all makes sense now! He came to our house to visit the mother of his unborn baby! I walk in and see him with his hands on your abdomen trying to feel his unborn child! You made a fool out of me!" Paul screamed cutting his wife off before she could explain. He had lost it. No amount of self control was going to rein him in. This caused Stephanie's eyes to widen as she too stood to try and reason with her husband.

"Can you please lower your voice, Mr. Levesque? If you wish to discuss this with your wife further, I would like to suggest that you take it outside this office." The OBGYN said in a calm professional voice. She didn't want him to make a scene.

"No problem, I'm out of here!" he hollered storming out of the office while Steph followed after him.

"Paul, please! You're being ridiculous! The baby is yours! Don't you remember? We made love that Sunday when I came back from Florida! I love you! Please stop walking away from me!" Steph cried out as she held her hands to abdomen.

Her stomach was in a knot. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that Paul would think that their second child wasn't his. How could he think that of her? And he was calling her paranoid?

"You were probably already pregnant when we slept together! Why else would you have thrown yourself at me right when you got home from Florida? You wanted me to think that this was my baby." Paul said lowering his volume toward the end of his reply. They were standing in middle of the parking lot in the cold crisp autumn weather.

"I didn't throw myself at you! I was trying to give you the attention that you've been wanting! It's not like a forced you to make love to me! I love you! This is your baby! Why are you being this way?" Stephanie cried. Paul began to walk away toward his Hummer not even glancing back at his wife despite her emotional state.

Paul climbed into his red Hummer and slammed his driver side door shut before locking it. Before Steph could run up to the automobile, she heard it start and then only a second later did Paul put it into drive. Levesque's eyes locked with his wife's and without any hesitation he pulled out of his parking space and drove off leaving Stephanie strained alone in the parking lot without even her coat and purse which she accidently left back in the doctor's office.

Stephanie had been looking forward to this appointment for more than a week. She was going into it believing that it would be an event that would bring her and her husband closer together. Steph never would have guessed that he would call into question both her fidelity and the paternity of the unborn baby that was, without a doubt, his own flesh and blood.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Twenty

"Are you alright ma'm?" The limo driver asked peering in his rearview mirror at Stephanie. She had called the local limo service to come and pick her up after being stranded by her husband.

"I'm fine, thank you." Steph replied in a mutter giving the stranger a blatant lie. There was no way she could have been fine after what her husband pulled at the doctor's appointment.

Because of everything that went down, Stephanie knew better than to pick Aurora up from her parents' house. She didn't want to bring her daughter home to witness more of daddy's ugly behavior. Aurora always got upset when they fought. Steph knew it wasn't a good environment for her baby to be in. She only wished that her and her husband were on the same page. Little Aurora deserved to have a happy family; so did she for that matter. Stephanie was sick and tired of blaming herself for the problems in her marriage. While she wasn't perfect, she most certainly wasn't guilty of the affair that Paul had accused her of. If anything, it was his recent strange behavior that had caused her to question his fidelity.

When the jet black limo pulled into the driveway of the Levesque home, Steph saw that Paul's Hummer was indeed parked in front of the garage. This was going to be her chance to try and smooth things over between them before she would have to go pick up their child. Despite the way he was treating her, Steph was determined to keep her composure when dealing with him. Lowering herself to the level he had allowed himself to fall to would do both of them no good. There had to be a way for her to reach him. Paul was a very intelligent man. Surely he would come to his senses if she calmly and methodically explained to him how there was nothing between her and Kurt Angle.

"Have a nice day." The limo driver said with a smile opening her door for her. Stephanie returned the polite smile as she stepped out.

The house was eerily quiet when she entered through the front door. She thought about calling out for her husband but couldn't bring herself to break the silence. She was still emotionally upset and knew that her voice would crack if she tried to address him. All that mental preparing she attempted to give herself in the limo had fallen by the wayside. She had been stripped down to her bare emotions. The sound of her laptop starting up was heard coming from the study echoed through the large house.

"What are you doing?" Stephanie asked when she saw that Paul was on her work laptop and was looking through the company database. Steph had a program on her laptop that allowed her to access both past and current WWE superstars contact information. It was in sync with her PDA.

"I'm making a phone call." Paul replied reading a number off the contact list and punching it into the cordless phone. His hazel eyes were piercing hers with a kind of intensity that Steph had never seen within him.

Stephanie slowly moved further into the room and approached her laptop to see whose number it was that he was calling. The wrestler's contact information was none other than Kurt Angle's. Stephanie's eyes widened when she realized that Paul had dialed the Angles' home phone number.

"Hi Karen, this is Paul Levesque, Stephanie's husband. I'm calling to inform you that your husband, Kurt, has been sleeping with my wife….K-Karen, and listen to this, it gets better, my wife is now pregnant with your husband's child…" Paul said into the phone before looking over at Stephanie who was speechless.

"You should hear her crying…Damn, Angle's in deep shit. You see the pain that you two have caused?" Paul asked pointing at the phone as he held it away from his ear.

Steph lunged forward and ripped the phone out of Paul's hand. She was beyond mortified that he would dare call the Angle home and throw out lies to Kurt's wife. The lie that he was spewing had not one piece of factual evidence to back it up. The "affair" between Kurt and her, was purely a product of Paul's paranoid delusional mind. He didn't want to listen or believe the truth.

"Karen, I am so sorry about all this. My husband is going through a hard time right now and he's-…Karen? Karen?"

Karen Angle had hung up the phone when Steph was trying to explain her situation. It was obvious that all she had heard were the lies Paul had set about her husband. Stephanie could only wonder what was going on in the mind of Mrs. Angle. She only hoped that she didn't buy into the untruth.

"Well, now that Mrs. Angle is aware of what you two are up to, Angle's going to get his. I think I'm going to go get my daughter. Why don't you get dinner ready? When I get back, we can discuss what should be done with that bastard inside of you." Paul muttered pointing in the direction of where Steph's unborn child lay. With that said, he walked out of the study and out the front door.

After everything Kurt and Stephanie had gotten away with behind his back, he had gotten the last laugh. Paul only wished that he could have seen Karen Angle raging at her husband about the affair. The thought of Angle's marriage ending made Paul smile and knowing that he was the cause of it only made it better. This would surely wipe away that smug smirk that Kurt enjoyed flashing at him every chance he got. That smirk had been Angles way of rubbing in the fact that he had slept with Stephanie. Paul was sure of it.

Paul calling his own unborn child a 'bastard' broke Stephanie's heart. How could he not see that she had been nothing but faithful to him? How could he not know that it was his baby she was pregnant with? He was a stranger to her. The Paul Levesque she married would never have questioned her love and the love for his own baby. What was his problem?

Steph felt so bad for Karen Angle. Karen had been so sweet to her. She had given her advice when she desperately needed it. Karen had given her a thoughtful gift when she found out that she was pregnant. What did Karen think of her now after Paul told her a lie? What did that phone call do to the Angle marriage? Steph remembered Kurt confiding in her about Karen never getting over the affair he had a few years ago. Would Kurt's mistakes from the past make it impossible for Karen to believe the truth?

She wanted to pick up the phone and call Karen back. If there was some way she knew of that would make Karen believe that there was nothing going on between her and Kurt, she would not hesitate to do it. Paul had taken it upon himself to drag the Angles into this. Their already mended family was now possibly shattered because of that phone call.

Stephanie was brought back to reality when she heard the cordless phone begin to ring. Slowly, she picked the phone back up and read the caller id. She narrowed her eyes before hitting the talk button and bringing the phone to her ear.

"Hello."

"Hi Steph, how are you doing? It's been a while."

"Hi Lynn, I'm not doing so well right now. Did you hear that Paul and I are pregnant again? I bet he already told you the good news, didn't he?" Steph asked to her sister-in-law.

"No, I haven't talked to my brother in months. I was calling to see how everything was going with you guys. Aw, I'm so happy for you two! Peter and Nayssa really miss seeing you guys. I was thinking we could get together some time in the near future. I bet little Aurora has gotten so big."

Stephanie was stunned. She felt as though she had been standing on a platform that had unexpectedly bottomed only for her to fall forever through darkness. She was still falling. Steph did not process a single word Lynn had said after she told her that she hadn't spoken to Paul in months. The room was spinning.

"Steph? Stephanie, are you there?" Lynn asked. Steph plopped down in the study chair. Her breathing rate increased. Her husband lying to her about talking to his sister could only mean one thing. All those times he was on the phone, he was not talking to his sister.

"I have to go Lynn. I'll tell Paul you called, bye." Steph said in one continuous stream of words before she hung up the phone and let it fall from her hands to the floor.

She was still wide eyed as she looked around the room, it felt so surreal to the point where she questioned whether or not she was dreaming. Her eyes settled on Paul's corner of the study where his personal desk sat. Paul had been lying to her all this time. It was now time for Stephanie to find out the truth; to find out what exactly her husband had been keeping from her for the past few months.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Twenty-One

As if she was a woman possessed, Stephanie pulled all the draws out of the desk and riffled through every piece of paper she could find. Her eyes scanning each one of the documents looking for any sign of his secret indiscretion that he had been hiding from her for who knows how long. She fueled with anger now that motivated her to dismantle his desk throwing papers across the room after looking at each one. He wasn't stupid. There was not a single shred of paper in his desk. It was when she decided to check his personal email account that her worst fear was realized in an email entitled "I miss you baby":

_Hey baby boy,_

_When am I going to get to see you again? Can't you give your wife an excuse to escape to New York for a few days? We had so much fun those two days we were together. I absolutely love the diamond necklace you gave me! I know I'm selfish to want you all to myself. I just want to be with you. I can't help but hope that you will leave your wife and baby for me. I fell in love with you the very first photo shoot I shot of you. I long for your smooth glistening body to be pressed hard against mine every night. _

_I know you said that I can't call you on your cell anymore. I miss hearing your sexy voice. Email me back ASAP. I need to know when you can make it back to New York._

_I love you,_

_Michelle_

_xoxoxoxo_

Stephanie let out a painful sob after reading the disgusting love letter from Paul's mistress. She knew exactly who Michelle was from reading the letter. Michelle North was a long legged blonde photographer that World Wrestling Entertainment had hired a year ago as part of the New York photo shoot team. She had been the reason for Paul's recent trips to New York. Who knows how long the affair had been going on? Paul had participated in many photo shoots based in New York since the past year.

This all felt like a dream; a nightmare. She kept trying to create excuses for her husband in her mind with any possible explanation that would leave him innocent in all this. She couldn't think of anything. Paul was cheating on her. Not only had he not been true to her but to their family. Stephanie remembered back to when she was ill and in the hospital. Paul had been in New York doing a photo shoot. It was now that Steph realized that he had been with Michelle. How could he do this to their marriage?

Stephanie had trouble finding her center of balance as she stood up from the desk chair. She began to feel that all too familiar wave of nausea overcoming her body. As quick as she could, Steph ran into the kitchen and threw up in the sink. She would have ran to a bathroom but the kitchen was closer. She continued to cry after each time she retched up her digested food. She felt so stupid. Why didn't she see through Paul's deceit? She considered herself to be a very intelligent woman. All the signs were there. She had the small inkling but never wanted to believe it. Stephanie loved Paul and only wanted to see him as the man she fell in love with and married. She never wanted to see the truth.

"Come on sweetie, are you going to walk like a big girl?" Paul said in a sweet voice to his baby daughter as he set her down on her feet in the vestibule.

When Stephanie heard her husband's voice she quickly walked from the kitchen to meet him and their child. She was still visibly upset and she walked right up to her baby and scooped her up in her arms for a hug.

"Is dinner ready? I'm starving."

Paul's voice directly addressing her caused Steph to turn and face him. Her face wore a look of resentment unlike any he had ever seen before. Levesque had thought that maybe in the time he took to pick up Aurora at her parents' house, she would have cooled down from earlier. Now she looked even more upset than before.

"You've been lying to me…You're the one that's been having an affair!" Stephanie blurted out. Her voice shook with anger as she held back the tears that were trying desperately to escape her eyes.

"Steph, you know that there is not a shred of truth to that. Honey, you're hormonal and upset because I called Karen Angle. Now I'm going to go upstairs and take a quick shower, when I get back we'll sit down together for dinner as a family." Levesque replied completely dismissing his wife's blunt accusation as if it were nothing. He started going up the grand staircase.

"Lynn called…" Steph muttered keeping her eyes focused on the back of her husband as he stopped right after on the step that he was on.

"Oh yeah, what did she say?" Paul asked after a brief moment of silence. He was still playing the innocent.

"That she hasn't spoken to you in months…" Steph answered back gently setting her baby down on her feet.

Paul narrowed his eyes before turning around to see his wife still staring up at him. She looked like she was waiting for him to explain himself; waiting for him to provide her with some grand excuse that would prove his innocence in all this. She knew that he couldn't. Steph was trying to make him look like a fool in front of their own child.

"Shut your mouth and get dinner ready…." He replied as if he was dismissing the conversation. He wasn't even going to make an attempt to explain himself. Why give her the satisfaction of knowing that she was finally right about him?

Stephanie's eyebrows furrowed as she gritted her teeth. Who did he think he was talking to her like that? Without wasting a second, Steph stomped up each step of the stairs to meet him face to face. She wasn't going to let him get away with treating her like that. In the past few months, he had become verbally abusive to her and she wasn't having it anymore.

"Where are you going Paul? Going to send a love letter to your slut, Michelle? I don't understand why. Why did you do this to us? I've been trying so hard to be the perfect wife and mother, I don't understand what that whore has that made you dishonor our marriage and family!" Stephanie cried out looking right into his hazel eyes. She was searching for some form of guilt or sadness in them. They were as cloudy and complex as his erratic behavior.

"What can I say? It's not like I don't love you anymore, Stephy. I do love you it's just, you weren't satisfying me so I looked for it elsewhere. All men have their sexual needs. She was the hottest photographer I had ever seen: Blonde hair blue eyes, big tits, hot ass. Let's just say, she took a lot more than just my picture." Paul replied with a smirk. It was almost as if he was getting a kick out of talking about his mistress to his wife. He never thought that he would be caught and put into this awkward situation.

Stephanie's face contorted in disgust her eyes widening as she opened her right hand wide before slamming it across the left side of his face as hard as she could. The force of the unexpected slap caught her husband off guard. He looked somewhat shocked has he touched his hand to the already red mark on his cheek while Steph continued to sneer at him while Aurora began to fuss as she sat at the foot of the stairs.

"I'll let you get away with that one because you're upset. You hit me again, I hit back." He threatened before turning his attention to the stairs in front of them. She had hoped the hard slap to the face would knock something loose so that he could snap out of whatever spell he was under. It was like he had been possessed. He looked and sounded like the man she loved but he most definitely wasn't. Something inside of him had changed and it frustrated Steph to no end.

"No, don't turn your back on me again! This conversation is not over until I say it is! Paul!" Stephanie screamed following after her husband as they both climbed the stairs. She finally reached him at the top of the second floor. She grabbed hold of his muscular arm to try and turn him to face her.

"This conversation is done!" Paul screamed back as he used that arm to push her away from him with such force that it knocked Stephanie backward toward the stairs. He turned quickly just to see his wife's look of horror as she fell backwards.

It all happened so quickly that Steph couldn't even grab hold of a railing spindle to try and save herself from falling. With a loud rumble her body tumbled down the full set of stairs like a ragdoll, rolling her over and over until she finally her body slammed onto the hardwood floor face down. Aurora began to cry hysterically when she saw her mommy lying only a foot away from her motionless. Paul's eyes were wide with shock at what just happened. Then, when he finally realized what he had done, he rushed down the stairs to his wife's aide.

"Stephy, baby, I'm so sorry baby, are you okay? I didn't mean it! I swear it was an accident! I would die before I'd lay a hand on you! I do love you!" Paul yelled rolling her over onto her back. His frantic apology ran out of his mouth like it was all one long string of words.

Stephanie was conscious. She was grimacing while clutching her stomach with both hands. A sharp pain surged from her abdomen through the rest of her body. A tear fell from each eye as she forced her eyes shut tightly while being succumbed to the overwhelming pain. Paul had her upper body in his arms while he tried his best to cradle her. Steph was trying to stay in a fetal position. Aurora was screaming and crying for her mother as she crawled over to her parents. She was just afraid for her mommy as her father was.

"It's going to be okay, Steph, I'm going to call for an ambulance!" Paul hollered in panic as he got up and ran for the cordless phone leaving Stephanie in agony on the floor at the foot of the stairs.

Aurora's little hands grasped Stephanie's arm before she tried to climb onto of her mother in order to seek comfort from her while she continued to wail. Steph couldn't say a word or even lift a hand from her stomach in order to console her terrified baby girl. She knew something was very wrong.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Twenty-Two

Paul sat alone in the cold bland waiting room at Greenwich Hospital. Stephanie had been taken there by ambulance and when he arrived, he was instructed to wait there. Vince and Linda were on the scene not even an hour after Paul got there. It was after Linda had a chance to see her daughter, that she took Aurora from Paul without a single word spoken to him and went back to be with her daughter.

"Can I go back and see her?" Paul asked his father-in-law when he rose from his chair and walked toward the door to the hospital wing.

"After what you pulled, I can't even believe you showed your face here. Stephanie told me everything. When I gave my daughter away to you in marriage, I expected you to love and honor her." Vince replied stepping in front of where Levesque was trying to walk. He was blocking the door.

"Vince, what can I say? I screwed up. You know how hard marriage can be especially in our business. It's not like I ever meant for Steph to get hurt. I love her." Paul assured his father-in-law.

"If you didn't want to hurt her then why did you repeatedly lie to her about the affair when she asked you? It's one thing to slip up and be unfaithful but trying to cover it up and hurting your family, that's unforgiveable. I haven't decided what I want done with you yet. When Stephanie makes it through this, she and I are going to sit down and talk about it." McMahon explained sneering at his son-in-law in disgust.

"I know I made a mess out of everything. I want to work on my marriage. I know Steph and I can get through all this shit. Please let me see her, Vince. I promise I won't upset her." Paul pled in a whisper.

"It's going to be okay, sweetheart. None of this is your fault, okay? We'll get through this together as a family." Linda whispered to her daughter. She was trying her best to comfort Stephanie. In her arms was Aurora who was asleep. The baby was completely exhausted after the traumatic event.

Stephanie lay in a hospital bed with a small IV in her hand. She was trying to wipe away each of the tears that fell from her eye. After all the crying she had done that day, she now at least wanted to keep herself together when her mother and daughter were in the room with her. She felt hurt and betrayed by the one person in her life who she once thought would always be there for her loving and true.

"How did you get in here?" Linda asked when she saw Paul slowly walk through the entrance to the hospital room. His eyes darted down at the floor when his mother-in-law noticed his arrival. She had told her husband to make sure that Paul didn't come back there to upset Steph any further.

"I want to talk to Steph." Levesque muttered causing Steph to look away from him when he looked directly at her.

"It's too late for talking, Paul…I can't believe anything you say." Stephanie whispered staring at the wall opposite to where her husband was standing.

"Steph, I know I screwed everything up. I've been so worried about my needs being met that I didn't stop to think about how my actions were going to affect you. I can't say that I'm the only one at fault here though. I mean, I wasn't the only one stepping out on the marriage. Stephanie, you can tell me, is that baby Kurt Angle's?" Paul asked calmly as he moved further into the room to approach his wife. He was looking for the truth now. In his mind, this was the perfect chance for her to come clean about the paternity of the child she was pregnant with.

"Kurt Angle is my friend! We were never anything more than that! It was your baby, Paul! It was our baby! This new baby of ours was my hope at a fresh start for us! You're the only one at fault here! Your lying, cheating, and paranoid delusion ultimately caused the death of our unborn child! Your actions made it more than clear that there is no future for us! I don't want to see you anymore! I can't even stand the sight of you!" Stephanie screamed as she throwing her words at him like sharp knives. This was the first time she had looked at him since the miscarriage. Seeing his face now only made her feel sick.

"It was my baby?" Paul muttered to himself. His eyes were wide with shock as the reality of the situation began to finally sink in.

"How could you ever think that it wasn't, Paul? Stephanie loved you." Linda muttered in a stern voice as she placed a hand on her daughter to provide her with support.

"Stephanie, this can't be the end of us. We can get through this. We'll have another baby if that's what you want. Just come home with me back to our house. I'll take care of you." Paul pled getting down on his knees at the side of the hospital bed. He was beginning to feel desperate. The reality of losing his wife and daughter was becoming all the more real.

"Another baby isn't going to replace the one that you took from me. I'm serious, Paul. I don't want to be anywhere near you…at least until I figure things out. Aurora and I are going to stay at Mom and Dad's until I decide on my next move."

Paul Levesque couldn't believe it. The unborn baby that Stephanie was carrying that he had been so sure wasn't his, actually was. It has been his own subconscious guilt for the affair with Michelle that caused him to project infidelity on to Stephanie. She was right. He had accidentally caused her to fall down the stairs onto her already delicate womb. His tiny baby was gone and so was Stephanie's willingness to pick up the pieces from the fall out.

"I'm not going to give up on us…" Paul whispered gently giving her hand a tender kiss.

"I already have…Please go away." Steph muttered through tears as she pulled her and away from his touch.

Never in her wildest thoughts did Stephanie believe that she could not want to be with Paul anymore. He had been the love of her life and up until now, she never saw herself living her life without him. She didn't know what hurt her more: finding out that he was cheating on her or losing her unborn baby. Despite all the problems they were having as of late, Steph was really hoping that this new baby would somehow make them whole again. Now that Paul had taken away her second child along with her trust in him, she couldn't see how they would be able to mend a marriage that was torn at the seams.

Paul looked up at his mother-in-law. It was as if he was looking for her to help him out with reasoning to his wife. She wasn't going to. The McMahons were just as upset with him as Stephanie was. They had taken Paul Levesque into their family when he married Steph only for him to betray her. Paul knew by the look on Linda's face that he was no longer welcome in the room. Instead of pressing the issue, he quietly got to his feet, took one last look at his wife and daughter, and then walked out.

"I hope you understand that it was your early problems during the pregnancy, the diagnosis of Hyperemesis Gravidarum, caused the embryo to be unusually delicate. This is why I suggested that you refrain from sexual intercourse for the first few months of pregnancy. Well, the fall down the stairs would under normal circumstances not harm an embryo because of the pelvic bone. However, it was devastating to your fragile embryo." The OBGYN explained in a calm voice so that Steph would understand why she miscarried.

"My poor baby…" Steph whispered before swallowing hard and looking away.

"Mrs. Levesque, I would like to remind you that in two or three months you can begin trying for another baby if you and your husband wish to do so. You just want to make sure that you begin ovulating again before trying to get pregnant which usually takes a couple of months." The OBGYN explained to Steph as she held her chart in her hands.

"I don't see myself getting pregnant again anytime soon…That's the last thing on my mind right now." Steph muttered in a hoarse voice. She was trying her best to keep her composure in front of her doctor. After the scene Paul had made in front of her at her appointment earlier, Stephanie was determined to not further damage her family's reputation.

"Well, everything looks okay from your scans so when you feel up to it, you can go home. I'm really sorry about your loss. Do you have any questions?" The doctor asked slowly closing the vanilla folder.

Steph was so choked up that she couldn't answer the question. She simply shook her head as a single tear escaped her eye. Linda took the lead and thanked the doctor. When the doctor left the room is when Stephanie's emotions finally bubbled over in the form of a long painful sob. Even though she had only been a month into the pregnancy, Steph had fallen in love with the new life that had been growing inside of her. She loved being a mother and had been so excited about having another child to expand on the joy she was already having with Aurora.

Everyone was going to find out about the miscarriage. She had foolishly told all her close friends and coworkers that she was expecting and now they were going to know that she lost the baby. Steph could only hope that word of Paul's affair wouldn't make its rounds all over the company. It was bad enough that Stephanie had lost a baby but after finding out about Paul's affair with photographer, Michelle North, Steph felt like she lost a husband too.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Your father and I agree that you need to take a few weeks to a month off from work. You're going through a very stressful time, Steph. You should concentrate being with Aurora and getting your emotions squared away." Linda told her daughter as she put her overcoat on over her business suit.

Stephanie had spent a full sleep filled week at her parents' house with Aurora. She had already decided at the hospital that she would not be returning home to be with Paul. She even went out of her way to purchase new clothes for herself and her daughter so that she wouldn't have to go to her house to get clothing. Steph wasn't ready to face him. Paul wanted to mend their broken marriage while she wasn't anywhere near being over the pain he had caused her.

There had been no sign of Paul for the entire week Stephanie and Aurora were at the McMahon estate. Perhaps he was giving them their much needed space. Steph thought that it was probably because he was ashamed of his actions. That would be the first step in the right direction for him: admitting that he was wrong. She didn't know if they could ever begin the necessary steps to heal their relationship. All she could think about was the affair and the loss of her unborn second child.

"You're right. I should take some time off. I hate to think where the creative team will be without me though. You know none of them can do a thing without my direction." Steph pointed out as she rocked Aurora in her arms. Aurora's teething was only getting worse these days. The new baby teeth were getting ready to break through her gums at any moment.

"Don't worry about the creative team. You know your father can handle it. Just concentrate on feeling better. You and Aurora have been through so much this past month. Your happiness is so important to your father and me. We love you Stephanie; you and our little granddaughter." Linda said turning to look at her daughter. She gave her youngest child a loving smile so that she knew that she meant every word of what she said.

Linda was going to be gone for the weekend. There was a convention that she was attending because of her status as CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. At first, Linda didn't think it would be good to leave her troubled daughter and grandbaby for the weekend but after Steph insisted that she went, she finally agreed. Stephanie wanted business to go on as usual for the company. WWE shouldn't be affected by her own personal problems. It was going to go through a big enough change when Paul's career became affected by his decision to cheat on her. There would be no way he was going to stay World Wrestling Entertainment champion on RAW after what he pulled.

The front doorbell rang causing Linda and Stephanie to move to the front of the house. Stephanie decided to go and answer the door while her mother was finishing getting ready to leave. Steph shifted Aurora to her right hip when she approached the front door to peek out of the side window. A young man wearing brown uniform pants and shirt stood on the front porch. He held a long thin box and a sealed card. Did Paul have something to do with this?

"Stephanie McMahon-Levesque?" The guy asked as soon as Stephanie opened the door to greet him.

"Yes, thank you." Steph muttered slowly taking the box and card from the delivery man. This had to be Paul's attempt to try and win her over with flowers and a card. How could he possibly think that gifts like that would make her forget what he put her through?

It was when she closed the front door and was able to look at the card envelope that she realized that the box of flowers and card was not from Paul at all. The return address on the card was hand written:

_Kurt Angle_

_1201 Great Oaks Drive_

_Pittsburgh, PA 15108_

Stephanie narrowed her eyes when she read the new address. She turned her attention to the flower box. To her surprise, inside the box contained a dozen yellow long stemmed roses. She was more then taken aback by this sweet gesture. After what Paul pulled with calling Kurt's wife to feed her lies, Steph wouldn't have been surprised if she never heard from Kurt again. Setting Aurora down on her feet allowed her to use her other hand to tear open the envelope while holding the flower box under her arm. It was a standard Hallmark sympathy card that any friend would give to a loved one. However, Kurt had taken the time to write a message inside the card.

_Stephanie,_

_I hope you are hanging in during these extremely stressful times. Remember that none of this was your fault and that eventually things will get better. I could never hold a grudge against you for what your husband did to my marriage. We have sadness in common. I care about you very much, Stephanie. If there is anything you ever need, please do not hesitate to call upon me._

_Sincerely,_

_Kurt_

"What's all this? Yellow roses? Are these from Paul?" Linda asked taking the box of roses out from under Stephanie's arm while she still stared at the card.

"No, they're from Kurt Angle." Steph replied after a moment of silently scanning the sympathy card again.

"Oh really? That was so thoughtful of him. I'll just give these to the house keeper and have her put them in a vase with water." Linda said grasping the neatly wrapped dozen yellow roses and pulling them out of the shipping box.

"I wonder how he knew to send them here instead of my house."

"I spoke with him briefly the other day. He called the house when you were asleep to find out if you were okay because he didn't get an answer at your house or your cell when he called." Linda replied walking away with the roses.

"Is he okay? I mean, did he say if he worked things out with Karen?" Steph asked curious as to how much information her mother had gained from the conversation.

"He seemed fine but I didn't talk to him that long. He didn't offer any details about himself and I didn't ask.' Linda replied back from down the hall in the kitchen.

Kurt Angle's kind message to her inside of the card was enough to make a smile form on Stephanie's face. It was nice to know that he still cared about her as a friend even after everything that went down last week. Steph could only wonder what devastating effect Paul's lies had on the Angle marriage. She had wanted to call Karen and try to explain further that none of Paul's statements about her and Kurt were true but she didn't know what to say. How would she go about explaining Paul's devious behavior to Karen? She didn't even understand it and she was his wife.

After Linda left for the airport, Steph was left alone in the house with her daughter. The house keeper left for her lunch break and Stephanie was just finishing giving Aurora her afternoon bottle. Being fed provided the baby with the small bit of comfort she needed to settle down. Her little eyes began to slowly close and open as inevitable sleep set in. When Aurora's eyes closed for the final time, Steph took the bottle away from the baby's small parted lips and set it down on nearby coffee table. Right before she was going to lay Aurora down in her playpen, the doorbell rang.

Slowly, Stephanie walked toward the front of the house with Aurora still sleeping in her arms. Approaching the front door, she peered through the side window and saw that it was none other than her husband, Paul, standing on the front porch. It was the first time she had laid eyes on him in a week. What did he want now?

"What do you want, Paul?" Steph asked. She had opened the door only slightly and was speaking through the small space. He was looking just as sullen as he did at the hospital a week ago. Steph was still not ready to feel any sympathy for his guilt and sadness.

"I wanted to see you and Aurora. It's been a week, Stephanie. I think it's time that the two of you came home. I miss you guys. I want us to move on and be a family again." Paul said while leaning in closer to the barely open door.

"It's not that easy, Paul. A week isn't enough time for me to even process what you put us through. I meant what I said. We need time apart. Right now I don't even know if I want to stay in this marriage." Steph whispered gripping her doorknob with her free hand as she held Aurora with her other arm.

"Come on, Steph…Look, I know the affair really hurt you. And you know that I never wanted you to miscarry, I feel terrible about that. But you have to see my position. I haven't seen you or my baby girl in an entire week. You don't answer any of my calls-"

"You should have thought about this before you took up with Michelle. When you chose to carry on with her, you chose her over us. That's your position. I'm done talking to you about this." Steph said forcefully cutting him off before she closed the door right in her husband's face and locked it.

"That's bullshit! Where do you get off telling me when I can see my daughter! I'm her father! I have the right to see her!" Paul exploded in anger as he began slam his right fist into the hard oak front door.

"Do you think acting like a fucking maniac is going to make me open this door and let you see her? Go away!" Stephanie screamed back when Aurora began to cry after being startled out of a sound sleep by her father's carrying on.

"Do you think I'm going to let you keep her from me? I'm going to be back here before the weekend is over and I don't care if I have to break the door down. I am going to see my child!" He screamed giving the door a swift kick.

"Paul, you are terrifying her and me!" Steph hollered as she just like Aurora began to get upset. Aurora was still wailing as Stephanie backed away from vestibule rocking her crying baby in her arms.

Levesque could hear the sound of his baby crying from inside the McMahon home as he backed away from the front door slowly. He didn't plan on showing up there to scream at his wife. He had wanted to go a much more subtle route with the hope that he would be invited in. It was clear that because of his anger, he had blown his chances of that happening. Perhaps he could try again on Saturday or Sunday. Now he was going to have to return home by himself.

The house was so different without Stephanie and the baby. It was so too quiet. As many times as Paul had wished in the past for a bit of quiet in the past, this was not what he wanted. He had really screwed up. Levesque knew full well that he was playing with fire when he decided to carry on an affair with Michelle behind Stephanie's back. He knew the risks yet he never thought he would get caught. As much as married life got to him, so did the thought of losing Stephanie and Aurora along with everything that went with being with them.

Paul sat down in his study chair amongst the disarray that Stephanie had created while rooting through his belongings. He didn't bother cleaning anything up. Steph had been the one to tidy the house. In his hand he held his World Wrestling Entertainment championship belt. He ran his fingers over the name plate that read "TRIPLE H" in black bold letters. He could only wonder where Vince stood on allowing him to continue hold his championship. There were going to be repercussions for his WWE career after what he pulled on Stephanie, but what? Would he be fired? Was Vince really that upset about his daughter's marital problems that he would kick his top superstar out of the company? Vince was a smarter business man than that. Surely Vince separated business and family. Surely, Triple H wouldn't be removed from his golden throne on RAW because of all of this.

Levesque couldn't help but be bothered by how he reacted to his wife earlier in the day. He knew that he had just put more fuel on the fire. Stephanie was like her father. She wasn't going to forgive and forget easily. His frequent outbursts from frustration weren't going to help his plight. Paul had to try and smooth things over right away.

"Hi, this is Paul, Stephanie's husband. I'd like to speak with her please." Paul said mannerly into the phone. He was speaking with the McMahons housekeeper who just happened to answer the phone when he called.

"I'm sorry Mr. Levesque but Mrs. Levesque left just a little while ago. Would you like to leave a message?" The housekeeper replied in a somewhat formal tone.

"Do you know where she went?" Levesque asked. He was surprised that Steph would leave her parents' house due to her depressed state.

"She didn't tell me. She packed her and the baby's things up and left in a limousine. You might want to try and contact Mr. and Mrs. McMahon. Maybe they know where she went. Or you could call Mr. McMahon's son, Shane." The housekeeper suggested.

"Okay, thanks…Bye." Paul replied before ending the phone call.

Where was Stephanie going? Could Stephanie have left Connecticut to stay with her brother and his wife in New York? Paul would have to try and call Shane. While he could call his brother-in-law, he wasn't sure if Shane would be honest with him about his sister's plans. Paul was in hot water with the whole family. They were going to do what they could to protect Steph from him. As if he would ever harm her. They had to know that the miscarriage was a tragic accident. What upset Paul the most was the fact that Stephanie had his daughter. Aurora Rose Levesque was in the custody of her mother and he was being denied his parental right to see her. What gave Stephanie the right to keep him from seeing their child?


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Hey Shane, it's Paul." Levesque said into the cordless phone. He was sitting on his and Stephanie's bed in the master bed room. Two pillows he had propped up against the headboard to provide his back with comfort as he lounged.

"Hi Paul, you know I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't upset about the things I've been hearing about you from my mom and dad." Shane replied after a slight pause.

"I know Shane, look just hear me out. Have you heard from Stephanie? She took off with Aurora from your parents' house earlier today and I was wondering if you had any idea where she was going. Was she going to say with you and Marissa?" Paul asked completely evading the direction that his brother-in-law was trying to take the conversation.

"I will not get in the middle of this. If you want to know where Stephanie is, I suggest you call her on her cell and ask her. You're not going to gain an ally with me, if you get what I'm saying. I love my sister and I support every decision that she makes."

"Okay Shane, I understand. Goodbye." Paul said in a calm voice before ending the phone call. He had to be calm when dealing with Shane. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice in one day; raising his voice to a member of the McMahon family. His recent past actions already had him in enough trouble with them.

The last thing that Paul wanted to hear was another lecture from a member of the McMahon family condemning his actions. While he knew what he did to Steph was wrong, he didn't want to have to hear about it from everyone in her family. Stephanie was doing a well enough job of making him feel guilty all by herself. And now she was punishing him by not letting him see their one year old daughter. His cell phone's ringtone began to play signaling an incoming call from where it sat on his nightstand. He quickly picked it up and saw that it was Michelle North.

"Hey." Paul said answering the call as he leaned back against the headboard and pillows.

"Hey baby, now that it's out of the bag about us, how soon can I see you? Is the separation official?" Michelle asked her voice full of excitement about the possibility of having Paul all to herself now.

"I can't see you right now, Michelle. Steph's really upset and she took off with Aurora. I think she blames me for the miscarriage she had. I need to fix things with her. That's my main focus right now." Paul replied to his mistress.

"Come on Paul, this is the perfect opportunity to take our relationship to the next level. I love you and I want to be with you."

"I know you do, it's just that I don't think it's a good idea that we see each other right now. What I have with Stephanie is great on so many different levels. I can't lose that. We have to put us on hold, at least until this all blows over and I can get Steph to move back into the house with Aurora. I do miss you." Levesque admitted to his lover.

"Then drive down to New York tomorrow and we can spend the rest of the weekend together. You need someone to take care of you now. You must be under so much stress. I could relieve some of that for you. New York is only about an hour from your place in Connecticut. Please, baby?" She whined in a pouty voice.

Levesque let out a long sigh as he began to actually ponder whether or not he wanted to drive down to New York City to be with Michelle. He closed his eyes as his mind drifted to erotic thoughts about his blonde bombshell. She was very persuasive when she wanted him.

The jet black limousine transferring Stephanie and Aurora pulled up to a decent sized modern luxury home. It was tucked away in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains. The sun had just set and it was pouring down rain. Steph peered out of the tinted window at the house that was completely dark with no lights on inside or on the house's exterior.

Stephanie knew that showing up there wasn't the smartest idea in the world. She could have easily had gone to Shane and Marissa's place in New York if she wanted to get away from Paul. Steph knew that her brother had her back and would be happy to have her and Aurora at the house for as long as need be. But there was something to Kurt reaching out in friendship that truly touched her. She didn't know what it was. She just knew in her heart that he was serious when he said that he cared for her as a friend.

"Here we are: 1201 Great Oaks Drive." The limo driver announced bringing the limo to a complete stop in the driveway. He then got out of the car to open her door.

"Great, can you just wait here? I'm going to see if my friend is home." Stephanie said after getting Aurora out of her car seat. She climbed out of the limousine with the baby and quickly ran to the front door which was protected from the rain by a glass panel overhang.

Steph shifted Aurora to her right hip before she pressed the doorbell button. Aurora's eyes darted up at the glass paneling above them. The sound of the rain beating down on them caused her to take notice. When the thunder crashed she grabbed her mother's clothing tightly for comfort; there didn't seem to be any movement from inside the dark house. After a few moments, right when Stephanie was ready to get back into the limo, the porch light flipped on and she heard the door unlock.

"Steph?" Kurt asked squinting out his door after he opened it. Angle was dressed in only sweatpants. He looked like she had disturbed him from sleep.

"Hi Kurt, I'm sorry about showing up unannounced like this but I needed somewhere to go to get away from Paul for a while. I saw your new address on the card. I know you must think I'm crazy for just show up like this and imposing on you." Stephanie said completely embarrassed as she explained her situation. Her reasoning for being there sounded so off the wall when she said it.

"No, you're fine. Well, um, come on in. Get out of the rain." Kurt offered after looking at her puzzled for only a second. He moved away from the door allowing her access to enter the home with Aurora.

"Thanks, I didn't know if you were home. There were no lights on in the house." Steph pointed out walking from the entrance way further into the home. Her eyes scanned the dimly lit architecture of the house. A full wall of windows showcased the fully furnished house. For a new house, it already had its own decorating style.

"Yeah, well, I just got back from Japan today. I had to defend my IWGP title. I got home not long ago and crashed. Thank God I don't have Impact tapings this coming week." Kurt muttered turning on a few more lights.

"Do you have any bags?" Kurt asked watching as Stephanie let Aurora stand on the white carpet floor while she took off her little coat.

'Yeah, they're in the trunk of the limo. I told the driver to wait."

Angle went outside to meet the limo driver and help bring in the few bags that Stephanie had brought with her. When everything was unloaded into the vestibule, Kurt walked back into his open living room where Stephanie was sitting with Aurora in her lap. Now seeing Stephanie in a good amount of light, he could tell she had been crying a lot. Her eyes were a bit puffy.

"This is a really nice place. You just moved in?" Steph asked breaking what was a bit of an awkward silence.

"Yeah, I lucked into finding it. It belonged to a guy who was getting married so he wanted to unload his furnished bachelor pad. It's pretty big too. There are three guest rooms in addition to the master. Unfortunately, those guest rooms aren't furnished. I'm glad I found the place because Karen wanted me out of the house right away." Kurt muttered swallowing hard after he spoke.

"Kurt, I'm really sorry about what Paul did. He hurt me too. And I know that me showing up here has the propensity to cause you more problems with Karen but for some reason I felt coming to you. I'm sorry." Stephanie confided in a whisper as she let Aurora slide off the sofa and toddle to the coffee table.

"Forget about Karen, okay? She's not in the picture anymore. Like I told you before, we were having problems before all this. Paul's phone call to her was just the final straw. She wouldn't listen to me when I told her that none of it was true about us. It doesn't matter what anyone says now, she'll never trust me again. She already filed for divorce."

"I'm sorry…" Steph whispered. She could feel the pain and sadness radiating off of him. Just like her, he was hurting too.

"So since the guest rooms aren't furnished, you and Aurora can stay in my master bed room. I'll take the couch." Kurt offered pointing to sofa that Stephanie was currently sitting on. He completely switched topics to get the focus off of Karen.

"Oh no, I couldn't put you out of your bed, especially since you just got back from Japan. You must be exhausted. Aurora and I can sleep down here." Stephanie replied.

"No I insist. You're been through so much, Steph, with the miscarriage and Paul's infidelity. You mom mentioned it all in the brief time we talked. You can stay here as long as you need to. I mean that." Angle told her as he saw Aurora turn to her mother and smile.

"Thanks, I don't plan on staying more than a day or so. Just until the weekend is over and then I think I'm going to go back and stay with my parents. I can't go back to that house. I can't go back to him." Steph whispered.

"Do you want me to carry all of these bags upstairs to the master bedroom? Anything you need me to set up for the baby?" Kurt offered as he rubbed his eyes showing his exhaustion. He never expected that Stephanie McMahon-Levesque would show up at his new house with her daughter. Of course he had no problem with taking them in for a few days. He really did care about her and meant what he said in the card he had sent her.

"Yeah thanks, I brought a playpen with me for Aurora to sleep in. I may just have her sleep in the bed with me tonight." She said getting up from the sofa and picking her daughter back up before following Angle to where the luggage sat.

"The master bedroom is the door on the right at the end of the hall." Kurt told Stephanie as she walked in front of him carrying Aurora and he carried the entire luggage with two hands.

The master bedroom was just as nice as the downstairs of the house. Kurt had a king size bed all to himself that was dressed in what could be considered masculine linens. Angle had said that the previous owner of the house was a bachelor. The guy must have taken a lot of pride in his home because it had a sense of style to it.

"So you're all set for the night?" Kurt asked gently placing all the bags to one side of the room. He wanted to make sure that she had everything she needed for her and the baby before he left her. Angle wanted to get back to sleep.

Stephanie gave Kurt a smile and a nod before setting Aurora down on her feet. The one year old turned around and smiled up at her mother before turning to look at Kurt. She was studying him taking in his appearance just as she had done the last time he was around her. She gave a tiny yawn and began to scrub her eyes.

"She looks just as tired as I do. Are you tired little princess? You remind me so much of my Kyra when she was a little girl. Come here." Kurt whispered before picking up Aurora. He had forgotten how tired he was for the moment when he saw how adorable Stephanie's baby daughter looked.

"You're going to be staying with Uncle Kurt for the weekend. You and your mommy don't have anything to worry about while you're here. I promise." Kurt said with a smile as he gave the baby a little hug before setting her back on her feet.

"Steph, are you okay?" Angle asked looking concerned when he saw that Stephanie was now sitting on the bed crying into her hands.

She was hiding her face while she wept, muffling her sobs. Hearing Kurt tell her child that everything was going to be okay was much more comforting to Stephanie than to her one year old daughter. Even though both her mother and father repeatedly promised her that things were going to be okay for her and the baby, it was the words of a family friend that really meant the most. Angle was an impartial party. He wasn't just giving her lip service to make her feel better like her mother had been doing none stop since the miscarriage.

Angle moved forward to approach his friend. He wanted to comfort her in some way to make her stop crying. He could already see that Aurora was beginning to follow her mother's lead in getting upset.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. I'm okay. I just have to work all this out myself. Thank you for all your help." Steph replied getting up from the bed before Kurt could sit down next to her. She moved across the room to where her luggage sat.

Angle quickly realized that what Stephanie needed was time to herself. While he wanted to be a friend to her, he didn't want to force her to unload on him all her personal problems. That was between her and her husband. Though on the other hand, she did show up on his doorstep at seven o'clock on a Friday night. He wasn't going to force her to talk about what was so upsetting. From what Linda had told him, Steph had gone through so much in the past few weeks. It was best to leave her be for the night and get back to his much needed rest on his comfortable couch.

When Angle left the room closing the door behind him, Stephanie couldn't help but feel bad for brushing him off the way she did. He was only trying to be a caring and supportive friend to her. He must have felt uncomfortable when out of nowhere she fell to pieces. She cared about Kurt. She didn't want to bother him with her marital problems that had been weighing on her mind. He had enough on his plate. Being separated from Karen and the kids had to be tearing him up inside. Even though Kurt didn't blame her for Paul's hand in ending his marriage, she couldn't help but feel some level of responsibility. If it wasn't for her and Paul's sickly marriage with all its problems, then maybe Kurt and Karen would still be together. It now became clear to her just how many lives Paul had negatively impacted with his paranoid selfish behavior.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Twenty-Five

Paul eyes opened to the daylight in his master bedroom. He closed his eyes again and turned his body to face the other side of the bed. His arm drifted over to his wife's side of the bed. It was her absence next to him in bed that reminded him of the current state of their marriage. He opened his eyes and then sat up in bed.

It was the fact that his marriage was in crisis that made Levesque resist all temptations to drive to New York City for the weekend to be with Michelle. While he knew Michelle would have taken care of every manly urge like she had done for the past year when Steph was too preoccupied with work and taking care of Aurora; he knew spending the weekend with her would risk any chance of getting his wife back.

His cell phone began to ring causing him to sigh. He knew exactly who was calling him at nine o'clock in the morning. It was Michelle.

"Hey…" Paul said into his cell phone.

"What happened to you last night? I thought you said you were going to drive down in time for dinner. I waited up for you and you never showed." Michelle said, her voice showing signs of her disappointment.

"I just can't be with you right now, baby. I can't be traipsing off to New York to be with you. Stephanie could call the house and how is it going to look if I'm not here. We're just going to have to lay low for a while. I need to convince Steph that I still love her and get her to come home with the baby." Levesque explained.

"I love you Paul! Doesn't that mean anything to you? I sacrificed my job to be with you! Why can't you sacrifice your marriage to that bitch for me? You know you love being with me more!"

"Of course you mean a lot to me. It's just that my marriage to Stephanie is a key part of my wrestling career. It has its perks and allows me to retain my position in the main event for the rest of my days in the company. And then there's Aurora. I owe it to my baby girl to keep the marriage intact. Just be patient, baby. It will all work out." Paul reassured his mistress in a calm voice. He was trying to salvage both of his relationships.

Stephanie let out a relaxed sigh gently pressing her face into the soft royal blue pillow as she began to awaken out of a deep sleep. She had a terrific night sleep with her one year old daughter nuzzled close to her. She usually didn't make a habit of Aurora sleeping in bed with her and Paul. She did bring the baby into bed when Aurora was just a newborn. It had given the little baby comfort by sleeping with her mother. Steph had not wanted Aurora to get used to sleeping with her so after a few months, Aurora always slept in her crib. Things were different now. After losing her unborn child and faith in her husband, Stephanie was looking for comfort from her baby girl.

"Aurora?" Steph said aloud once she opened her eyes and realized that her daughter was no longer in bed with her.

Her eyes quickly scanned the master bedroom. Aurora wasn't in the room. The door to the hallway was open. Could she be up wondering around? Steph quickly jumped out of bed and walked toward the hallway. The thought of Aurora trying to go down the hardwood open stairs leading to the ground floor of the house worried her. There was no sign of Aurora from where Steph stood at the top of the stairs. Quickly, she descended the steps she could hear Kurt's voice coming from the kitchen.

"Kurt, have you seen-"

Stephanie stopped in mid sentence when she entered the kitchen and saw Aurora sitting on the kitchen counter with a bit of baby food on her face. Kurt was standing at the counter holding a jar of food for Aurora.

"Good morning, I found Aurora getting ready to take a header down the stairs this morning. I ran to the supermarket and picked up some baby food. I hope you don't mind me giving her breakfast before you got up." Kurt said with a smile.

"No, I don't. Well, it looks like you tried to feed her. Do you have a cloth?" Steph asked moving into the kitchen.

"Yeah, there's one in the sink. Did you sleep well? I tried to keep Aurora quiet so you could get some sleep."

"I slept great, thank you. You're really sweet for taking us in." Stephanie pointed out as she began to wipe Aurora's face as she stood next to Kurt.

"I told you that it's nothing. I care about you, Steph. We used to be best friends when I was in WWE. I'm glad you don't hate me like your father and husband do." Kurt said setting the glass jar of baby food on the counter.

"My dad doesn't hate you. He was just really upset that you left the company and went to TNA. And as for Paul, he just doesn't understand our friendship. He pinned his own ugliness as a husband on you. I'm just really sorry that he called Karen and poisoned her mind against you." Steph whispered placing her hand on Kurt's shoulder.

"Can we not talk about her anymore, please? It's all in the past now. We both have to get on with our lives. I know it seems impossible right now, especially since you lost so much. But you and Aurora will get through it." Kurt promised removing her hand from his shoulder. He held it in his while speaking to her.

"I hope so." Steph said giving Kurt a weak smile. She was staring into his kind eyes. She only wished Paul would look at her the way he was. It was a kindness that she hadn't seen in her husband for a long time; the sweetness that she had seen in him when they fell in love.

"I really miss Paul." Steph said looking away from Kurt's gaze and over at her baby. No matter how much her husband had hurt her, deep down inside there was still a part of her that loved him.

"I know you do. You know, you could always try and work it out with him." Angle replied trying to give his friend the hope she was looking for. He was hesitant to tell her to try and mend her marriage. He questioned Paul's devotion when it came to Stephanie.

"I don't know if that's possible…" Stephanie muttered looking down at the titled kitchen floor.

Kurt looked sympathetically at his friend and closed the space between them. Steph instinctively took a quick breath when Kurt's hand brushed up against the edge of her night shirt. She looked surprised when she looked back up at his face. Did he notice it?

"It's almost noon. Why don't you go get a shower and I'll watch the little princess? After that, I think you should call Paul. He has a right to know that his daughter is okay. He's probably worried about you guys." Angle said he did not seem to notice what Steph had.

"I'll call him when I'm ready. After all the shit he's pulled, he doesn't have any rights. Thanks for watching her. I won't take long to get ready." She replied beginning to walk out of the kitchen.

Stephanie took her time getting ready for the new day. It was nice having some time to herself. Ever since Aurora's birth, Steph had taken on the most, if not all, the responsibilities of tending to her child. While Levesque occasionally liked to play and hold their child, he was usually nowhere to be found when Aurora needed to be fed or changed. This wasn't unusual though. Steph's father, Vince, was never that much of a hands-on father when it came to helping Linda tend to their kids. Vince McMahon was out on the road promoting his growing business during Stephanie's childhood years.

When a much more refreshed and groomed Stephanie rejoined Kurt down stairs she found him on the living room floor playing with Aurora. He was sitting right in front of Aurora making silly faces and sounds that was causing her to bawl with laughter. Steph stood at the room entrance for a moment without making her presents known to neither her daughter nor her friend. She was impressed by what seemed to be Kurt's innate ability to make Aurora break into laughter. It was a known fact in her family that only two people had been able to achieve this same effect with her and that was Mommy Steph and Grandpa Vince.

"You're really great with her. I just love her little laugh." Stephanie said with a smile as she advanced into the room.

"She's a real sweetie pie. I bet Paul spends all his time playing with her." Kurt replied with a smile before turning to look at Steph who sat down on the floor next to him. Being with the one year old little girl reminded Kurt so much of the precious time he had spent with Kyra when she was a baby.

"He doesn't spend as much time with her as I think he should….Well with either of us. He's very big on weight lifting and running off to New York to be with his-"

"Don't keep torturing yourself with that. His problems aren't because of you, okay? Don't own them. I'm not as lucky as you are. While Paul delivered the final blow to my marriage, I was the one who screwed it up." Kurt said in a mutter wearing a look of sadness that caused the baby to cease from her laughter. He looked away from Steph's gaze, trying to hide the pain he was feeling from her. It was obvious though.

"Kurt, you're a great guy. I'm sure if Karen lets her anger pass she'll realize that." Stephanie whispered in a supportive voice as she placed her hand on Kurt's muscular arm.

"It's over, Steph. It's like I told you before. She never got over the affair I had two years ago. Even though I swore to her that I wouldn't ever cheat again. It was like, she agreed to stay in the marriage for the kids and because of who I was; Being Kurt Angle the Olympic champion and professional wrestler. And now that she's got her name out there with TNA, she was looking for an excuse to leave me…Well, ask me to leave our house and file for divorce." Kurt whispered in a raspy voice as he looked off to the other side of the room.

"Well if that's true than you're better off without her. I know you. You're a terrific guy, Kurt Angle. You took me and Aurora in without any hesitation. I just wish some of you would rub off on Paul. It's like I don't even know him anymore and he used to be the man of my dreams."

Stephanie heard herself revealing her inner most thoughts about her whole ordeal with Paul. She looked down at her child who was smiling back at her. Somehow, putting her feelings and thoughts into words, was a release for her. No matter how many people told her that she would be able to move on with her life, she still couldn't help but dwell on what she had lost: the happy family she once had and a growing new unborn life. Paul had taken it all from her. She was struggling to cling to any love she used to feel for him.

"Maybe he wasn't the man of your dreams after all…" Kurt whispered gently touching Steph's face with his hand in order to wipe a streaming tear with his thumb. His other hand he placed on one of her thighs. His hand was warm as it caressed her leg.

Their eyes locked as a few more tears fell from Stephanie's face. She pondered the idea that Kurt had thrown out there. What if he was right? What if she and Paul weren't meant to be after all? Yet why would God have given them a beautiful little girl and draw them together in the first place? She wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"Maybe…" Steph muttered. Her eyes darted to Kurt's parted lips as he began to move closer toward her. It was like they were attractive magnets because Steph felt herself too begin to lean forward toward Angle. She slowly shifted her head slightly to the side and shut her eyes. She could feel his breath on her face.

Her nearby cell phone began to ring causing both Kurt and Stephanie to be jolted back to their neutral position before things started getting out of hand. Steph blinked a few times, her eyes wide with surprise. It was only then that she realized how quickly one thing had led to another between them.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for that to almost happen." Angle said somewhat embarrassed by the awkward sexual moment. He looked back at Aurora who wasn't even by them anymore and had toddled over to a magazine rack a few feet away. She was sitting on the floor with her back to him and magazines sprawled out around her.

"I should see who that is." She finally said getting to her feet and running to the kitchen counter where her purse sat. Her heart sank when she saw the call ID on the phone. It was Paul calling her. After what just almost happened in the living room with Kurt, her husband was the last person she wanted to talk to now.

"It's Paul…" Stephanie told Kurt as she held the phone firmly in her hand.

"Answer it. Let him know that you and Aurora are okay." Kurt replied without hesitation.

"What do you want, Paul?" Steph asked, her voice showing a hint of uneasiness. Her mind was still on the almost kiss from just a moment ago. And now she was talking to her husband, the man that had accused her of carrying on an affair with that very guy she had almost kissed.

"Where are you, Steph? Where did you take Aurora and when are you two coming back home to me?" Paul asked getting right to the point of his phone call. He sounded legitimately worried about her and the baby's whereabouts.

"I'm at Kurt's. Aurora and I are fine." Steph heard herself reply without even thinking of the ramifications of revealing the fact that she was with Angle.

"You're what? Did I hear you right?"

"Yes you did, I'm with Kurt right now. He's letting Aurora and I stay with him for the weekend." She repeated, following through with telling her husband the truth about her whereabouts.

"You know, you've got a lot of nerve going there! I'm here at our home being the monogamy poster boy worrying sick about you and our child and you're off in Pittsburgh playing house and who knows what else with that jerk off, Kurt Angle! Screw this, why do I even try to make things right?"

"Oh fuck you, don't you even try and make me feel sorry for your position! It was your actions that brought us to this! This is what you wanted, isn't it Paul? To have your wife and baby out of your life so you can screw around with your slut? Well now you've got exactly what you wanted!" She hollered before ending the phone call. She hit the end button before Levesque even had a chance to reply.

Paul Levesque stood in his living room with his cell phone in his hand. He was seething. Every muscle in his body was tense with anger. The worst possible scenario of her whereabouts that he had cooked up in his head had just been confirmed. Stephanie had picked up and taken their daughter with her to be with Kurt Angle. While he was trying to resist the unbelievable urge to continue to be unfaithful with Michelle, Steph was making a mockery of their marriage by shacking up with the Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Twenty-Six

"Thanks for setting that up while I gave her a bath." Stephanie said walking into the master bedroom where Kurt had set up the playpen next to the bed.

She laid Aurora down on the king size bed so that she could put a clean diaper and pajamas on her. Angle was very helpful by getting her the requested things from her bag while Steph tended to her daughter.

"Don't mention it. So are you going back to work this coming week?" Kurt asked watching Stephanie pick the baby up off the bed. She was going to try and rock the baby to sleep in her arms.

"My parents want me to take a few weeks off from work. I'm not fully sold on the idea though. I'm thinking about working from my parents' house. I just wish I had my laptop. It's at the house." Steph replied in a whisper while continuing to rock Aurora back and forth.

"So why don't you go and pick it up along with some other things for you and the baby?" Angle suggested gently placing Aurora's pink blanket into the playpen.

"I can't go back in that house right now. I haven't been there since the night I found out about the affair and miscarried. Besides, I don't think I could face Paul. I can't bring Aurora back into that house." Stephanie muttered bringing her hand to sleeping baby's face. She gently brushed away Aurora's hair from her little face.

She wasn't going to subject her baby to her father's temper tantrums. Aurora had been through enough in the past month. She had witness countless fights between her mother and father. The baby had even seen her mommy fall down the stairs accidentally at the hands of her daddy. As a mother, Steph felt it was her duty to keep Aurora away from Paul until he could get his act together. When was that going to be? As upset Steph was with her husband, she didn't want to withhold her child away from her father. She knew how important Aurora spending time with Paul was. But being put in that abusive environment wouldn't be good for the one year old.

"Steph, I understand that you're still upset about what happened but you can't let that hold you back from continuing your life. Aurora needs you. Mommies are very important to children. I don't worry about my two kids because I know Karen is taking care of them. Aurora is going to be fine but you need to go and get some necessities from that house. You two can't continue to live out of a suitcase. If you're worried about Paul being there, I'll go with you." Kurt offered in a whisper watching Steph gently place the baby in the playpen and covered her.

"What about Aurora?" Steph asked turning her attention to Kurt who stood next to her at the side of the playpen.

"We can drop her off at your parents' estate before going over to your house. Your mom and dad are going to be home, right?" Angle asked placing his hand gently on her arm.

"Yeah, my dad is going to be there in the morning before flying out for RAW and mom will be back from the weekend conference." Steph reported with a weak smile which Kurt then returned before turning his back to her as he started walking out of the room.

"I don't know about this Kurt." Steph blurted out making Kurt stop and turn to face her again. Steph licked her lips once and blinked her eyes a few times as tears began to form in them.

"I don't think I could bear for him to hurt me again. I just, I loved him with all my heart and for him to do this to me…To me and Aurora…" Steph trailed off in tears.

Angle shook his head and backtracked toward Stephanie. He said nothing as he extended his arms and pulled her into an embrace. Stephanie let out a long sigh and then a few sniffles while Kurt rubbed her back with both hands.

"Shh, it's going to be okay. He's not going to hurt you again. I'm going to be there to make sure of it. He won't get away with anything anymore, okay?" Kurt whispered reassuring his friend.

Kurt's reassuring words somehow made Stephanie's fears dissipate. She was so thankful to be in the arms of someone who truly cared about her. It reminded her of how Paul used to hold her. She couldn't help but miss those times. Back when he would tell her that he loved her and she knew he meant it. Steph thought that their relationship was strong. Maybe she was wrong. How could he carry on an affair when she had always given her all into their marriage? Perhaps her all wasn't good enough for him.

She tightened her arms around Kurt Angle's broad neck as she felt his hand begin to travel to her lower back. His thumbs following the line of her spine while caressing her back. Steph's head rested on his broad shoulder as she felt him begin to rock her slightly in his arms. Slowly, Stephanie lifted her head to look at him. Their eyes locked for a moment and Stephanie felt her heart flutter when he began to lean in. Before Steph could pucker her lips she felt him press his tenderly on her forehead.

"Goodnight Stephy." Kurt whispered with a smile while his lips were still only inches from her face. With that said, he broke the embrace and left her and the baby for the night.

Stephanie looked a bit surprised that he didn't kiss her lips. God she was terrible. She was still a married woman. She couldn't just turn her back on Paul and what they had together just like that. Maybe her husband could, but she couldn't. Still, in those brief seconds, she really did want Kurt Angle to kiss her lips instead of her forehead. Where was their innocent friendship leading?

Paul smiled as he swaggered over to his the front door. He licked his lips before grasping the door handle. He knew exactly who was on the other side of it and he couldn't wait to open it. Levesque opened the front door in one quick motion to reveal Michelle North standing right in front of him on his doorstep.

"I came as soon as you called me! God I missed you!" Michelle exclaimed as soon as she saw her lover standing in the doorway. She practically flung herself into his muscular body. He wasted no time wrapping his arms around her perfectly toned body while giving her a passionate kiss.

Once the kiss ended, Paul took a second to give her body a quick look over. She was wearing a winter coat but surprisingly her legs were bare. It was obvious that the November cold was bothering her a bit because she was shaking slightly in his arms.

"I'm so glad you're here. My wife is giving me such a hard time. She can be a real bitch. I need you now more than ever." Paul whispered into her blonde hair. He began to give her neck soft tender kisses while she ran her hand through his dirty blonde hair.

"I'm glad you called me. I'm going to take care of you tonight, baby. I came ready." She whispered before giving his lips a soft seductive kiss. Michelle took a step back so that he could view her body better. She slowly opened her coat to reveal red sexy lingerie.

"Oh, that's the best thing I've seen all day. Come here…" Paul muttered not being able to take his eyes off of the blonde bombshell. She ran her tongue over her front teeth and top lip before running into his arms again. This time, he actually picked her up, feeling her long legs wrap around his waist. They both laughed as he closed the front door, bringing her into the house.

"Oh, this house is really nice…" Michelle commented with a giggle before Paul pitched her backside causing her to yelp.

"You should see the master bedroom." Levesque replied with a smirk. His remark caused Michelle to give him a naughty smile before kissing him all over his face while he carried her up the grand staircase toward the Levesque master bedroom.

The next morning, Kurt and Stephanie, with Aurora in tow, took one of the WWE corporate jets to Connecticut. Stephanie had made arrangements for the flight the night before. Flying back to Connecticut made more sense than driving the seven hours that separated Pittsburgh from Greenwich. When they arrived, Linda had already had breakfast ready.

While Linda McMahon tried her best to be a warm hostess to Kurt Angle during breakfast, Vince didn't have anything to say. He tolerated Angle's visit because of all he had done for Stephanie and Aurora. As close as Vince once was to him, he was now detached from the Olympic Gold medalist.

"Stephanie, I think it's great that Kurt was nice enough to go with you to get some things from the house. Kurt being there will probably be enough to keep Paul civil." Linda pointed out giving her daughter and then Angle a smile.

"Oh shit, Aurora…What a mess." Steph muttered after Aurora turned her head away from a spoon full of baby food. She had put her little arms up pushing away the incoming food. This had caused the baby food to fall off the spoon and all over her little pink fleece outfit.

"Here, let me help you with that. It should clean right up." Kurt quickly replied quickly coming to Steph's assistance with a napkin.

"Oh, thanks Kurt." Stephanie said with a warm smile as she lifted Aurora out of the high chair so that Kurt could clean the mess easier.

"Now let's wipe that little face first. You really gave yourself a full body experience here, little girl." Kurt said in a sweet voice as he gently wiped Aurora's face clean.

Stephanie let out a burst of laughter, the nostrils of her nose flaring while she gave Kurt a great big smile. Linda McMahon couldn't help but notice her daughter's behavior toward Angle. It was the first time she had seen Steph happy at all since all her problems with Paul started. Linda could tell by the look on her daughter's face that she was somewhat smitten with Kurt.

Linda looked over at her husband to see if he was taking note of the interaction between their daughter and Kurt Angle. He looked over at his wife with a surprised look on his face. He mouthed the words "Do you see this?" silently to her in hopes that neither Stephanie nor Kurt would notice the observing audience.

"Hey Kurt, let's go talk in my office for just a moment." Vince said interjecting Kurt and Steph's conversation with his signature booming voice.

Angle was a bit confused by Vince's request to speak with him privately in his office. He looked at Steph to see if she knew what was going on. Her face provided no explanation. He was just going to have to find out by following McMahon into the study.

"Look Angle, I appreciate all that you've done for my daughter and granddaughter." Vince started out after he closed the study door to make their conversation more private.

"It's no big deal." Kurt replied folding her arms as he looked away from his former boss.

"No it is a big deal. You taking Stephanie and her baby in for the weekend when she has a husband at home is what I consider a big deal. Just what the hell is your motive here, Kurt Angle?" Vince asked suspiciously. He wasted no time putting Kurt on the spot.

"Motive, what are you talking about? I took Steph in because she came to me. Stephy and I are friends. We always have been and will be. You know that." Kurt replied as he tried hard not to raise his voice. He was somewhat pissed off that he was the one being interrogated when it was Stephanie's husband who should be in the hot seat.

"There are a lot of things I know, Angle. I know that after you cried and pleaded with me, I released you from your contract and for what? For you to betray me and sign with my new competition TNA Wrestling." McMahon with a forceful intensity that was just a bit louder than a whisper.

"I didn't betray you, you betrayed me!" Kurt hollered breaking through the strained civil conversation as he let his emotions go. Vince raised his eyebrows. He wasn't expecting Kurt to accuse him of such. They had never discussed him going to TNA. Vince hadn't spoken to him since.

"I lost my father at sixteen and when I joined your company, I came to love you like a father. I thought you cared about me. You told me I was special. You told me that I was different from all the others. What was that Vince bullshit? Because it sure as hell seemed like it when you threw me in ECW to legitimize your vision of the brand. You used me like a pawn, a band aid to bend any aspect of any show that needed more wrestling. When I needed to go to rehab, you turned your back on me. So I left your company." Kurt explained in a much quieter voice. Toward the end of his explanation, his voice was quivering. He was on the verge of tears which he quickly tried to hide by turning his back to Vince.

Vince McMahon cocked his head to one side. He didn't expect for Angle to be that emotional about what happened between them. He sure as hell didn't know that Kurt had hurt feelings. He never would have guessed that hurt feelings were the main reason Kurt Angle left WWE.

"You are special Kurt. I knew you would be able to work through your pain killer addiction without any help from rehab. You are not like all the other wrestlers. I cared about you. I loved you like a second son. Hell, we even joked about how we wished we were in-laws. In the mist of everything, we let our emotions get the best of us and I know we both said things that we both regret. I know I have." Vince said in a low voice that was almost a mutter as he approached Kurt who still had his back to him. This was the closest that Kurt had ever gotten to hearing an apology from him. Vince was known for not being one to say he was sorry.

"I still do love you like a father…All the stuff I said about you in the media, I only said those things because I was hurt." Kurt said finally turning to face him. It was Vince now that looked to be a bit choked up.

"Alright, well we know how we both really feel. There's no sense in discussing this anymore…" Vince muttered as he gave Angle a few pats on the back before Kurt took the initiative to pull Vince into a hug.

"You'll always be like a son to me, Kurt. Especially now that I know the truth…" Vince said as he gave him a few pats on the back while they hugged.

"Am I interrupting something?" Steph asked with an eyebrow raised. She had peeked her head into her father's study when she heard both her friend and father raising their voices in what sounded like a heated discussion.

"No, not at all, Kurt and I were just ironing things out. We're okay now." Vince said breaking the hug and placing a hand on Angle's shoulder to show his daughter that they had buried the hatchet. Steph smiled opening the door fully before she walked into the room.

"That's great. Hey Kurt, we should get going. I just put Aurora down for her nap and I want to be there and back by the time she wakes up."

"Okay Steph." Kurt replied with a smile as he followed her out of the study.

The limo pulled up in front of the Levesque home. Paul's red Hummer was parked in its usual spot showing that he was indeed home. Stephanie sat in the limo staring at her house through the tinted window. She was going to have to face her husband again. She could only hope that this face to face meeting would go better than the last one. She was glad that she left Aurora with her parents and brought Kurt with her.

"Are you ready to go in?" Kurt asked in a soft spoken voice that was sympathetic to her situation. He knew how hard this was for her. Angle placed his hand on hers to show that he was there to support her.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

Once they got out of the limousine, Stephanie pulled out her set of keys to the house. She wasn't planning on ringing the door bell at her own home. Kurt followed her close behind every step of the way as they entered the house through the front door. They were quiet once inside the house, both Kurt and Stephanie were trying to listen for any sign of Paul in the large home. Steph pointed in the direction of the hallway that lead to her kitchen dining area where she heard her husband's voice. Closely flowing Steph from behind, Kurt almost ran into her when she came to a dead stop at the end of the hallway. Her eyes were wide like a deer caught in the headlights of a tractor trailer truck.

Stephanie was crestfallen when she saw Paul sitting at the kitchen table with Michelle North. They were eating breakfast together. She was in Stephanie and Paul's home. The home they made together and shared with their one year old daughter. They were just sitting there staring back at her. He didn't even get up and try and explain himself and neither did she.

"That's my robe…" Steph said aloud breaking the silence. It was the only thing that came out of her mouth. She felt like she wanted to go off on her husband and his mistress but she just stood there, staring at them. Looking at her own robe that Michelle was wearing while eating breakfast in her kitchen with her husband in her house.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Steph, what are you doing here?" Paul asked finally opening his mouth to say something while Steph was speechless looking back and forth between him and Michelle. He didn't bother acknowledging Stephanie's observation of Michelle wearing her robe.

"I live here! What the hell is she doing here?" Stephanie replied in a shrill voice with her hand on her hip. She was passed the stage of shock and was furious.

"Paul invited me! He loves me and if it wasn't for the sake of his job and his baby, he would have left you a year ago! You think just because your family fires me that Paul and I would stop seeing each other?" Michelle interjected getting to her feet and walking toward where Steph was standing in the kitchen. She stopped at Paul's chair; her hands grasping the back of his chair like he would protect her. Paul shook his head and used his hand to massage his forehead as he felt a headache coming on.

"Come here and say that right to my face you blonde little home wrecking bitch!"

"Whoa, whoa, Steph! Don't sink to her level. You have more class than her. She's not worth it." Kurt warned his friend as he had to hold her back from physically confronting her husband's mistress. Angle used his masculine frame to block Steph's view of the robed blonde. He held on to her hips so that she could not maneuver around him.

"What the hell is Angle doing here in our house? What's the matter, Steph? Screwing him in Pittsburgh while my baby daughter sleeps under the same roof getting too mundane? You have no room to talk! You sure as shit didn't have any time for me in that department after Aurora was born but you can sure as shit spread your legs for him!" Levesque hollered getting up from his seat at the breakfast table. Kurt Angle's presence only brought his jealousy of his and Steph's relationship to the forefront.

"I didn't sleep with him! Not that you even deserve to know the truth about Kurt and I! He was a perfect gentleman the entire time that Aurora and I stayed with him! Which is what you used to be!" Steph screamed back struggling to get around the buffer that Kurt was trying to create between her and her husband. He had his back to Levesque. Angle had a few choice words for him but didn't say them. He didn't want to get involved in the marital fight.

"Where's Aurora? You can't keep my baby daughter from me! I'm her father and I have the right to see her!" Paul replied moving the conversation on to their one year old daughter.

"She's at my parents' house! If you want to see her, go right ahead! When you see her you can explain to her why you have that slut in our home and why mommy and daddy aren't going to be together anymore!" Stephanie yelled.

"Don't pin this all on me! You drove me to cheating!"

"Yeah, if you were satisfying your man he wouldn't have had to come to me! I give him what you can't!" Michelle said with attitude again chiming in.

"Michelle, be quiet! You're not helping me!" Paul yelled turning his attention back to his mistress. Her frequent outbursts in an attempt to lash out at Stephanie weren't going to help the situation. The argument was between Levesque and his wife.

"You know, I told myself that I wasn't going to get involved in any of this but I have to say something. How can you carry on with this trash when you have Stephanie? That makes no sense to me. When I made the mistake of having an affair it was during my pain killer addiction. I wasn't in my right mind, what's your excuse?" Angle asked turning around to face Stephanie's husband face to face. He moved so that he was no longer separating Steph from her husband and Michelle.

"Get the hell out of my house!" Stephanie screeched grabbing Michelle's blonde hair with both hands. The blonde screamed as Steph began to yank her hair with all her might. She finally had her hands on the woman who had a hand in ruining her marriage.

"Have you lost your damn mind, huh?" Paul hollered grabbing his wife by the arm so that she would let go of Michelle's hair. He jerked her toward him twisting her wrist while it was in his tight grasp causing her to wince.

"Keep your hands off of her!" Kurt yelled giving Paul an abrupt shove that caused him to fall back. He was not expecting anyone to interfere in his moment of loss of self control. Levesque wasn't going to have a fight breaking out between his wife and mistress. And Kurt Angle wasn't going to have Paul put his hands on Stephanie.

Levesque got in Kurt's face so that he wouldn't get the impression that he would back down from him. Angle wasn't going to get away with making him look weak in front of both his wife and girlfriend. Who did he think he was telling him not to touch his own wife?

"Mind your own business Angle! This is between me and my wife! I know what you're trying to do and it won't work! Steph and I are going to work out our problems and get back together! So you can just go back to Pittsburgh by yourself because despite what you may think, my wife isn't coming with you!" Paul retorted as he shook with anger. The thought of Kurt Angle's intentions infuriated him.

"We're beyond working things out, Paul! The fact that you would bring that slut into our home, the home that we made for our daughter, proves to me that I don't mean anything to you! You have no respect or love for me! I'm just the woman you married in order to sit pretty in the company and who you chose to procreate with!" Steph yelled as she rubbed her sore wrist.

"Yeah that's right! That's all you are, bitch!" Michelle said with attitude as she placed her hands on her hips showing a stance of dominance while she stood next to Paul. She was tough again after her boyfriend saved her from Steph. She felt safe enough next to him that she began to run her mouth again.

Stephanie's harsh words seemed to have struck a chord with Levesque. His eyes widened while he absorbed her words. He could tell that she meant every word she said. Perhaps he really did go too far this time. He never wanted to be caught cheating again but his need of a revenge screw clouded his judgment. Paul had decided to give into his sexual appetite for Michelle after finding out that Steph was with Kurt Angle in Pittsburgh. He never would have dreamt that Steph would come back to the house on Sunday to find Michelle there but she did.

"Steph, go get everything you need from upstairs and we'll get out of here." Kurt muttered not taking his eyes off of Paul. He was watching his former co-worker in case he tried to go after Stephanie again. He wasn't going to let Levesque lash out in anger at her. He had gotten away with it before but he wouldn't now.

Stephanie quickly wiped away the forming tears from her eyes as she slowly walked out of her kitchen toward the hall to the staircase. She couldn't believe that she returned home to this. As if reading the email written by Michelle wasn't enough to make the affair real, seeing the woman in the flesh donning her robe and sitting in her kitchen with her husband really made it real to her. It was clear that even the loss of their tiny fragile unborn child wasn't enough for her husband to change his ways.

Steph approached the foot of the staircase. Her eyes followed the path of her fall: from the top of the staircase all the way down to the unforgiving hardwood floor. She remembered the sharp terrifying pain she had felt while Paul tried to apologize and undo his mistakes. There was no way to undo what he had done. Nothing would bring back what they had lost.

"Stephanie, you know I didn't want you to come home to this. I love you and Aurora and I always will." Paul told his wife as he watched her hand Kurt a few bags. Levesque was realizing that he had to do some major back pedaling to try and smooth things over.

Steph ignored her husband's reasoning. She was so sick of hearing his excuses. It was always the same thing. How he was sorry for his behavior and that he loved her. If he really was sorry, then he wouldn't continue to hurt her. If he really did love her, he would have ended the affair with Michelle.

When he realized that his words were not having any effect on Steph, Paul fell silent. There was nothing he could do or say that would keep her from leaving the house. When she and Kurt walked out of the front door, Levesque stood at the nearby window and watched as the limo driver loaded the baggage into the trunk of the limousine while Kurt and Stephanie entered the vehicle. Paul felt his stomach tighten as he watched the limousine slowly pull away from the house. He felt like his whole life was slipping away. He was going to have to live with the repercussions and wasn't very happy about it. If only Michelle wouldn't have been so adamant about having a rendezvous. If only she would have just kept her mouth shut when Steph caught them. This was just as much Michelle's fault as it was his. She was the reason he was going to lose everything.

"Do you believe the nerve of that bitch? She almost pulled my extensions out! I can't wait until you divorce her so I can move in with you." Michelle said breaking the silence as she approached her lover from behind. She tried to wrap her arms around him but he pushed her away as he turned to face her.

"Get your shit together and get the hell out of here!" He commanded raising his voice completely unexpectedly which caused Michelle North to jump. She looked at him like he was crazy. His outburst came out of nowhere.

"What do you mean? Why are you acting like this?" Michelle asked trying to approach Paul again this time a bit more cautiously.

"Because I had to waste my time screwing around with you, I'm going to lose my wife, my baby, and my main event spot on RAW! You and I should have been over months ago! Stephanie would have never found out about us if we would have ended then!" Paul hollered pushing Michelle away again.

"But I thought we-"

"There is no we, there never was! You were the hot piece of ass I needed when Steph wasn't putting out! What, did you think I was actually going to marry you? That we were going to live happily ever after? That's pathetic. Get the hell out!"

"You don't mean that, you're just upset! I love you!" Michelle cried out. Levesque focusing all his anger and frustrations on her was more than she could take. This wasn't what she had imagined at all. She had thought that it would be her and Paul after Stephanie left him. Now it seemed that it had all backfired.

"Get the hell out! I'm done with you! I have to get my life back!" Paul said with force through gritted teeth as he jerked her by her arm toward the front door.

"Paul, no! No Paul, please don't!" She cried as he tossed her out of the house slamming the door closed leaving her out in the November elements in just the robe sobbing. Michelle sat on the front porch crying as she begged Paul to let her back in and comfort her. She wrapped her arms around her own skinny body in a weak attempt to shield herself from the cold.

"Get off my property! We're over Michelle! You're nothing but a blabber mouth cunt!" Levesque hollered after opening his front door again. He forcefully threw her purse and coat at her before he slammed the door shut and locked it. And just like that, Paul Levesque ended his year affair with the now former WWE photographer, Michelle North.

"Okay, you've got everything you and Aurora are going to need for the next few weeks until you figure out your next move. You take care, okay? Get some rest." Kurt whispered taking Steph into his arms for an embrace as they stood out in front of the McMahon mansion.

Kurt had helped Stephanie by carrying in her several bags before saying goodbye. He was leaving her at her parents' house and taking a flight back to Pittsburgh via jet. Vince and Linda happily provided Angle with the flight back to PA after all he had done for their daughter.

"I want to go with you…Aurora and I could come back to Pittsburgh with you…" Stephanie heard herself whisper to him as soon as they broke their embrace. Kurt looked at her a bit surprised by her comment as he felt her hands touch the sides of his face.

"We can't. You have to stay at your parents' house with Aurora. You know you're just upset right now. I'll keep in touch." Kurt replied before he gave Steph a tender kiss on the cheek. The feeling of his soft lips on her face caused Stephanie to close her eyes until it was over.

She knew he was right. Aurora needed to stay in Connecticut, the state that her father was in. While Stephanie was sure she didn't want to be anywhere near Paul, she still had their child to think about. Aurora hadn't seen her daddy in more than a week now. It was best for the baby to stay with Vince and Linda.

But what was best for Stephanie? She wasn't keen on the idea of staying put in Connecticut. It didn't make any sense. Paul wasn't going to be staying at home long because RAW was going to be live in Atlanta Georgia tomorrow night. She couldn't blame her wanting to go with Kurt on getting away from Paul. Then why did she want to go with him?

"Kurt…" Steph said in order to stop Kurt from entering the awaiting limo. He stopped and turned to face her as she walked toward him to close the distance he had created between them so that they could be face to face again. He waited for her to continue as he looked into her brilliant blue eyes.

"I want to go with you…You're the only one I feel safe with right now. When I'm with you I don't think about Paul and that's how I want it…" Steph whispered inching her lips closer his as she spoke.

"You're upset about what happened today. I don't want you to make a mistake that you're going to regret. I'd hate to think that this between us was just you trying to get revenge on your husband for what he's put you through. I don't want to ruin the relationship we have." Angle replied leaning slightly away from her advances.

"This isn't just about what happened today. This is about what I've been feeling about us since you've been there to support me. You're the only person in world besides my baby girl who can make me laugh and forget about all the shit I've been detailing with. It's like you're this perfect guy…."

"I'm not perfect. I'm far from it. You're perfect. I don't understand how Paul could fool around on you. You're everything I could ever want in a woman. I've felt that way about you since the day I met you. I was always ashamed to think that way because you got involved with Paul." Kurt confessed looking away from her gaze and at the gravel driveway they were standing on.

"Shit, I feel like an asshole telling you all this after what you've been through. I-"

Angle was cut off in mid sentence by Stephanie's lips as they pressed firmly against his. They both let out a sigh as if out of relief while giving into an overwhelming attraction that had been building between them for a long time. The kiss quickly turned passionate as Stephanie hugged her arms around his broad neck. Both sets of eyes were closed as they savored each other's taste and the warm pleasure of their caressing tongues in Stephanie's mouth. Steph was completely at ease in his arms. Not one thought of her estranged husband crept into her mind as she felt Angle's grip on her tighten. When the lip lock finally broke, Kurt and Steph smiled at each other.

"Aurora will be fine with my mom overnight. Take me with you…" She whispered with a wide smile before she gave his lips a few more quick kisses which he eagerly matched as an unspoken answer to her request. Stephanie McMahon-Levesque was going back to Pittsburgh with Kurt Angle for the night. Ironically, she was fulfilling her husband's paranoid theory about her and Kurt Angle and she didn't care.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Paul Levesque slowly made his way into the Phillips arena in Atlanta Georgia. He has flown in that morning from Connecticut; his new traveling arrangements of flying ever where was definitely a change from how was he used to travel with Stephanie. He and Steph had bought the custom luxury bus for traveling once they were married. Since he was all by himself, he didn't find the need to travel in the bus. Besides, it would be too weird riding in the bus without Steph and Aurora. His WWE championship he had draped over his left shoulder as he walked down the hallway backstage. He knew he would inevitably be stripped of his championship. Vince had told him that he was going to talk it over with Stephanie before he made the call. That was probably what kept him from losing it last week.

Without saying a word Paul approached his father-in-law whose back was turned to him as he stood in the middle of the hall speaking with one of the members of the creative team. He didn't know what to say to let Vince know that he was there. Before, Levesque wouldn't have had a problem walking up to him and patting him on the back. Now after what went down yesterday between him and Stephanie, he didn't know where he stood with McMahon. Before he had to clear his throat, Vince turned to face him revealing that he was holding Aurora Rose.

"My baby girl…" Paul said aloud when his eyes fell upon his child. He hadn't seen Aurora in more than a week.

"Dada." Aurora replied with a smile extending her arms out toward her father. Despite all that was going bad in his life, he could still count on his baby daughter's love for him. What a blessing it was that she was an innocent to all this.

Vince's face remained indifferent; he didn't seem moved by his granddaughter's joy in seeing her father. He simply handed to over to Paul before fixing his suit. Once his little girl was in his arms, Levesque hugged her tight and gave her a kiss on her little cheek.

"Daddy missed you so much, sweetheart." He whispered looking into his child's eyes. She had his hazel eyes even though the shape of them was like her mother's exactly. Even though he had only been a part from her for a week, he felt like she grew.

"I spoke with Stephanie this morning and we reached an agreement on what is to be done with your reign as World Wrestling Entertainment champion. It's going to be you versus Orton in the main event for the title with the stipulation that whoever loses the match, is going to be drafted to SmackDown. I expect you to make Randy Orton look good. You should give your last match on RAW your all." Vince explained in a former tone of voice. He was all business tonight as he spoke to his son-in-law.

"I understand…" Paul muttered as his eyes darted to the concrete floor. He knew the loss of the WWE championship was coming but he did not plan on being drafted to SmackDown.

He wanted to say something back in his defense but thought better of it. Vince had to know the shit he pulled if he talked to Steph earlier. It was best for him just to keep his mouth shut and do what his boss told him. Because that's all it felt like Vince was to him now. He was treating Paul like he was any other employee in the company and not the husband of his daughter.

"Good, I'll let you spend some time with your daughter. You won't be sitting in on the meeting." Vince replied before walking away toward the room that he had set up for the conference. Being married to Stephanie, Paul had been given the privilege of sitting in at every pre RAW conference Vince would hold. It was there that he and the creative team discussed upcoming storylines among other things. It now looked as if Levesque had lost his seat in those meetings.

"Come on sweetie, let's go put daddy's things in the locker room."

Paul began to make his way to the locker room when he accidentally bumped into Randy Orton when turning a corner backstage. Randy smirked when he realized who it was that ran into him. He already knew about their match tonight. Paul looked away from his cocky gaze. He wasn't going to give the young man the satisfaction of rubbing in the fact that he would be giving the strap to him.

"How far the mighty have fallen…Are you ready to take a dive, Levesque?" Randy asked flashing a smirk as he threw Paul's words back at him as the tables were now turned. His smirk turned into a smile as he gazed at the shiny WWE championship belt that was going to be his at the end of the night.

Paul said nothing as he gave Orton a cold stare. There was nothing he could say that would rebuttal the young man's comments. Triple H was going to have to lose the World Wrestling Entertainment championship to the Legend Killer, Randy Orton. There was no getting out of it. It was something he had brought on himself. He had shot himself in the foot by carrying on the year affair with Michelle North and allowing his wife to find out about it. His role as husband to Stephanie McMahon was intricately intertwined with Triple H's future in the business. The death of his marriage was going to be the death of his career.

"Who the hell did you piss off? You're dropping the belt and going to SmackDown?" Shawn asked immediately when his friend entered the locker room.

"I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar…Twice. I knew I was risking everything taking up with Michelle North. I just never thought I'd get caught." Paul muttered staring off into space as he sat down in the folding chair next to Shawn. He wasn't even looking at his best friend as he spoke. It was as if he was talking to himself. He held Aurora with his right arm while his left held his championship gold.

"What? Wait a minute. You were carrying on with Michelle North? The photographer, Michelle North, how long has this been going on?" Michaels asked still not believing what his degeneration x buddy was telling him. He as well as the rest of the WWE roster had been kept in the dark about the goings on in the McMahon-Levesque family. The only thing that was known was Steph's miscarriage.

"A year or so…"

"How could you do that, man? You're smarter than that. You've got a wife and baby." Shawn lectured as he eyed Aurora Rose as she sat in her father's arms innocent to the conversation they were having.

"What can I say? I fucked up. It's just Michelle was one hot cranky bitch. I couldn't resist going back for more. Steph hadn't been there for me when she had Aurora and it just happened." Levesque explained with a shrug.

"That's bullshit and you know it! You're my best friend, Paul, and I wouldn't be doing right by you if I didn't tell you like it is! Stephanie loves you! I've seen her cry her eyes out for you both times you tore your quad! Steph challenged her father when he thought it wasn't a good idea that you guys should be together! How can you throw that away?" Michaels hollered obviously getting upset and frustrated with Paul.

"Well it's over! She told me herself that she's done with me! No matter what I do now, I won't get her back! I even broke it off with Michelle but that's not going to be good enough! She blames me for her miscarriage! I'm sick of her thinking everything is my fault when she's got blame in all this too!" Paul yelled back causing Aurora to begin to fuss.

"Do you want to get her back, Paul? Because if you do, you have to stop thinking about yourself and your ego. The past is the past. It's not about what did what to whom. You need to think about your future and your daughter's. You need to recommit yourself to Steph before it's too late. Do you really want to lose everything you have?" Shawn asked toning down the volume inconsideration of the baby.

"Thanks a lot, Doctor Phil…" Levesque muttered not bothering to answer his friend's last question. Just because he chose to not acknowledge Shawn's words, didn't mean that he didn't internalize them.

"There you are, you weren't with your pop so I knew I'd find you where!"

A smiling Stephanie entered the locker room and spoke the moment she saw her daughter sitting in her husband's arms. Vince had brought Aurora to RAW as Steph requested so she could be backstage at the show for the first time in weeks and pick up her daughter. Aurora smiled and let out a squeal of glee when she saw her mommy.

"Hi Stephanie." Shawn said politely acknowledging her. If there was bad blood between her and Paul, the least he could do was try and keep things civilized while he was with them. While Levesque was his best friend, he was fond of Stephanie too and he felt bad about what he just learned she went through.

"Hi Shawn, how are you?" Steph asked with a smile returning the same politeness back to Michaels. She had known him for so many years that she considered him a friend to her and the rest of the McMahon family and not just her husband. She didn't even give Paul a glance. She was acting as if he wasn't even there.

"I'm fine. Steph, you look great, how are you feeling?" Asked Michaels who was impressed by how put together she looked after everything that had been going on the past few weeks. She was surprisingly in a great mood.

"I feel great, thank you."

"Steph, can we talk privately for a few minutes, please?" Paul muttered looking into his wife's beautiful eyes hoping that she would turn to face him and look into his.

She looked beautiful standing there in front of him. Her shiny brown hair was styled very similarly to when he had first fallen for her all those years ago. Her makeup, while it was conservative, was flawless. It was the best he had seen her look in a long time. This sight made him only further realize what he had done. Somehow during the four years they were married, he had forgotten how special she really was and how lucky he was to have her as his wife.

"There's nothing for us to talk about. I just came here to get my baby. I'm sure she missed her mommy." Stephanie replied as she felt her husband's eyes casting upon her. She tried to keep hers focused on their daughter. She didn't want to make eye contact with him. It was already enough of a hardship being in the same room as him.

"No, she missed her daddy. I haven't seen her in weeks. I miss her." Paul replied as Steph stepped forward and took their daughter out of his arms and into hers. Aurora gladly went with her mother. She did love her daddy but it was her mommy that she was strongly attached to.

"Come on sweetheart, let's leave daddy to spend time with his WWE championship, I'm sure he'll want to spend as much time with the belt as he can before he loses it tonight. Or maybe he can call up his harlot, Michelle, and set up a happy endings therapy session when he gets back to Connecticut." Steph muttered while looking directly to her child. She was beginning to walk to the door holding her daughter in her right hip.

"Steph please, just give me a few minutes. We could even talk after my match." Paul pled not even caring to reply to Stephanie's inappropriate comments to their one year old daughter. He wasn't looking to start a fight with her. He wanted her to give him a chance to explain himself.

Stephanie slowly turned back around to look at her husband directly for the first time since she entered the locker room. He looked sincere as he sat there next to Shawn looking up at her. For the first time since all their marriage troubles started, she felt like she was the one in control. It felt great.

"I'll think about it." She replied in a soft mutter that Paul barely heard. And with that said, she left the locker room with Aurora in tow.

"Here's your winner and new World Wrestling Entertainment Champion, the Legend Killer, Randy Orton!" Levesque heard Lillian Garcia announce into the microphone.

He was lying sprawled out on the hard canvas looking up at the bright lights of the arena. All around him he heard the cheers of the WWE fans. The majority of the huge crowd was showing its support for Randy Orton and his championship win. Paul's head was throbbing from the several stiff shots Orton took pleasure in giving him. This was obvious his way of getting even with him for stealing his title reign in first place. Levesque let out a small groan as he shifted to his side as the referee approached him where he laid in the middle of the ring. Mike Chioda bent down by him and asked if he was okay.

"I'm fine." He muttered closing his eyes. When he opened them, he caught a glance of Orton celebrating with his newly won championship belt in the nearby corner of the ring. It was at that moment while he was looking up at young Randy Orton that Paul realized that Triple H's reign as the King of Kings on RAW was over.

"Are you all right man, I think you're going to have a shiner tomorrow. Orton really laid into you. The match was good though. It was definitely the match of the night." Shawn reported to his friend as he met him at the bottom of the stairs to the WWE RAW stage.

"Screw the match, I've got to go talk to Stephanie. Where is she?" Paul replied as he slowly walked to the backstage area with Michaels following.

"I haven't seen her. Why don't you go ask Vince, he's over there yelling at a guy from creative." Shawn pointed a few feet away where sure enough McMahon stood ranting about one of the midcard feuds that wasn't being built up properly.

"Hey Vince, where's Steph? I need to talk with her."

Paul's inquiry caused Vince to cut his rant short and turn to face him. The member of the creative team was looking down at the floor, obviously dejected after being screamed at by his boss. McMahon himself wasn't quick to answer his son-in-law. It took several minutes before he opened his mouth to reply.

"Stephanie left with Aurora right after the start of the main event." Vince finally said knowing full well that he was providing the answer that Levesque did not want to hear.

"She left? But I needed to talk to her. Did she go back to stay with Linda?" Paul asked looking for further information about his wife and baby's whereabouts.

"She went back to Pittsburgh." The creative team member quickly replied. Vince's eyes widened as he looked over at his employee.

He gave the young man a look that illustrated his displeasure with him letting the cat out of the bag. Vince was very much into making sure that his family's dirty laundry would not be aired in the work place. He did not want the problems that his family had to affect his company. Paul not knowing that Stephanie was going back to Pittsburgh would be a way for him to keep a lid on the situation and not allow it to escalate right then and there. But thanks to the young creative team member, the lid was blown completely off.


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Paul Levesque slowly shuffled into the dark hotel room while dragging his black traveling suitcase behind him. With a quick flick of the light switch, he illuminated the room which was the typical Marriot hotel room. He let out a sigh before allowing the hotel door to swing shut. It felt weird not carrying his championship belt draped over his shoulder. He had again grown accustomed to going around with it on just like every previous championship he had won. The belt was gone like his wife and baby, and he didn't know if he was ever going to get either one of them back.

As weird as it felt without the title belt, it felt even stranger without Steph and their baby at his side. His greatest fear was that he had lost them for good. Was 'lost' the best word to use to describe his detachment from his wife and child? It wasn't as if he did not know of their whereabouts. Stephanie and Aurora were not missing but were going back to Pittsburgh. Levesque knew why Steph was going back to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

She was going to Kurt Angle. The one man who Paul feared would ruin his marriage; the guy who he had been so quick to accuse of sleeping with his wife. It wasn't until his current state of completely and utter loneliness that he felt responsible for Kurt becoming such a big part of her life. He hadn't been there for her like he should have. Paul had been so wrapped up in his affair with Michelle and keeping it from his wife that he didn't realize how he was hurting her and their marriage. Looking back on it all, he could see the many opportunities that he had squandered. The changes he had to show her that she and the baby really were the two most important things in his life. But he didn't comfort her and now she was getting her comfort elsewhere in Kurt Angle.

"Hey, glad you made it back okay." Kurt whispered with a smile. He quickly greeted Stephanie at the door. He knew to speak softly for Aurora was sound asleep in her mother's arms. When he approached her, he placed his hands on her hips and leaned in for a kiss.

"I'm glad to be back." She whispered before meeting his lips with hers for a soft tender kiss.

"Here, let me take the diaper bag. You can lay her down upstairs. I'm sure it was a long flight for the little sweetie." Kurt replied taking Aurora's diaper bag from Steph. He began to ascend the stairs so that she could follow.

"I thought that maybe it would be best to set up a basic nursery for Aurora so I picked up the match crib and changing table. If you don't like the bedding I used for the crib or whatever, you can get whatever you want. I just thought she should have a good place to sleep while she's here. Besides, I needed to put a room together for my little son, Kody." Kurt explained leading Steph into the nearest guest room to the master bedroom.

Stephanie smiled as she slowly followed him into what looked like a cozy nursery. It was simple and didn't have any pink in it other than the blanket and bedding in the crib. The walls hadn't been painted over and were the same color as the rest of the house, white. The changing table seemed to be fully equipped with all the necessities for changing a diaper.

"It looks great. You did a good job. Let me just lay her down. I've already got her in her pajamas." Steph whispered as she slowly lowered Aurora into the crib with care.

Kurt smiled approaching Steph whose back was turned to him while she tended to her sleeping baby. He placed his cupped hands on either side of her hips. His strong thumps began to caress the muscles that ran along her lower spine causing her to let out a soft moan. The baby stirred slightly in her sleep as her mother covered her with the soft pink blanket that had been folded in the crib.

"I've been thinking about you all day." Angle whispered in Steph's ear as soon as she stood back upright. His words were soft yet seductive. He followed them up with a few kisses at the nape of her neck. He was teasing her to turn to face him.

"I've thought about you too. I couldn't wait to get back here. I couldn't have left the arena any sooner. You should have seen Paul trying to use his daughter in an attempt to get my guard down. I showed him. It was clear that I was above him. I was in charge of the situation." Steph whispered to her Kurt after she turned to meet his loving gaze.

"Shh, no more talking about Paul. Tonight is about us. When you bring him up all the time, you're giving him more power than he deserves. When you're here with me, Paul no longer exists. He can't hurt you anymore, baby, because I won't let him." Kurt whispered taking Stephanie into his arms. Stephanie closed her eyes allowing Angle's soft spoken words to sink in. She tightened her gripe on him by tightening her arms that were wrapped around his neck. She allowed her forehead to press against his, closing the space between them.

He was saying everything she wanted to hear. Kurt Angle was her Olympic Hero. He had swooped into her life to save her from the marital mess she had fallen into. When she was with him, she felt like her old self again. Since they had decided to take their relationship to the next level the night before, Steph found herself feeling uninhibited like she was in her early twenties again. Was it immoral for her to give in to her feelings for Kurt when she was still married to Paul? Probably, but at the moment, it felt like the answer to everything. It felt so right for her. For the first time in months, Steph felt like she was finding her way back to herself and the happy person she had once been. Kurt Angle was helping her do that. When she was with Kurt, everything else fell to the way side, even her estranged husband, Paul Levesque. That had to count for something. Feeling safe in his hard muscular arms only assured Stephanie that she had fallen for her long time friend in the mist of what was probably going to be a messy divorce.

"Take me to bed." Steph said in a hushed tone while using fingers to glide down his smooth close shaven face that formed a smile.

Angle understood where Steph wanted the evening to go. He wanted it too and he showed this by planting a passionate kiss on her smooth lips causing her to let out a sigh. Her knees buckled slightly feeling him dominate their kiss while she did her part to match is rhythm. Kurt took note of this and in one fluid motion swept her off her feet and carried to out of the nursery in such a way that was reminiscent of how he held carried her to the back after the SummerSlam pay per view all those years ago. This time however, it wasn't scripted, he didn't have a concussion, and she wasn't pretending to be knocked unconscious. They continued to kiss without even so much as a slight break in rhythm as Kurt slowly crossed the threshold to his master bed room.

When Paul Levesque arrived back in Greenwich Connecticut the very next day, he was eager to pay a visit to the McMahon estate. He knew that traditionally Linda McMahon always took the holiday week of Thanksgiving off. He climbed out of his red Hummer using the long cylinder shaped running board before walking toward the front door of the home. It was a familiar path to travel. After marrying Stephanie, they frequently visited her parents. When he reached the front door, he was reminded of his last visit there. It had been right after Stephanie lost the baby and he had lost his temper right where he was standing. His attitude had changed so much since then. If only he had behaved differently that day.

"Linda, it's Paul." Levesque said into the small blank intercom box after he rang the doorbell. He waited a few seconds before he heard the door unlocking.

"Hello Paul, I'm sorry but Stephanie and Aurora aren't here." Linda reported to her son-in-law thinking he was there looking for them.

"I didn't think they would be. Steph doesn't want to talk to me at all. Can I come in?" Paul asked.

His coat was barely shielding him from the cold November air that New England was famous for having. It had been the first time that Linda had not immediately invited him in the house upon his arrival. Levesque was sure it had to do with his infidelity. How could Linda not be upset with him when it was her daughter he had cheated on?

"Come in, you can't stay long because I have some errands to run. What is it that you need to discuss with me? You know Vince isn't here, he's already on route to the SmackDown tapings, don't you have to be there too?" Linda asked after her son-in-law walked into her foyer allowing her to close the front door.

"Yeah, I am going to head out in an hour or so. I wanted to talk to you, Linda. You have to help me get the opportunity to sit Steph down and talk with her. I want us to work things out. I miss her and Aurora so much. I want redemption from what I did to my family. I need to fix everything. Please help me get the opportunity to do that." Paul said in a serious yet low tone of voice that showed signs that he might be moved to tears.

"This is between you and Stephanie. When she's ready to talk to you, she will. After everything you've put her through, I'm not sure I want her to give you another chance. I know that's a horrible thing to say about the father of my granddaughter but that's how I feel. Vince and I took you in as a son and you betrayed our trust by being unfaithful to our daughter." Linda replied as she looked right into Paul's hazel eyes so that he would know that she was speaking from her heart and was being completely serious.

"I made a mistake and I want another chance. I think everyone deserves a second chance. You gave Vince another chance after his indiscretions, and look how happy guys are now." Levesque pointed out. He was desperate to make his mother-in-law see his plight. He needed an alley in the McMahon family to help him get an audience with Stephanie.

He could see that he had touched an emotional subject for Linda. Vince's past affairs were not only well known in the family but in the company too. Linda and her children had a hard time forgiving Vince for stepping out on their family while building his wrestling company to what it was today. But they were able to get through it and they were now a stronger family than ever. This positive outcome gave Levesque hope for his family.

"I miss my little girl. I barely spent any time with her yesterday. Steph's keeping her out of Greenwich. It's like she's punishing me by not letting me see my baby."

"Well both Steph and Aurora will be in Greenwich for Thanksgiving. As usual, Vince and I are hosting the diner. Shane and Marissa are coming just like every year. If you want, you could stop by and try to talk to her. I can't guarantee that she'll talk to you. She's still very hurt." Linda divulged to Paul. His profession of love for his child tugged at the grandmother's heart strings.

"It's worth a shot."

Paul could only hope that Stephanie would be willing to talk to him. Perhaps being at her parents' house she would feel more comfortable with allowing him to speak what was on his mind. When he had asked her to talk with him privately yesterday, it had been at their workplace. It couldn't have been an ideal setting for her to open up to him and hear him out. Levesque knew Stephanie. If he could just get her to hear what he had to say, she would be willing to take him back. Paul had pondered over what exactly he would say to her given the chance.

He thought of every conceivable way to express his feelings to his wife. Sadly, it reminded him of when he was trying to write wedding vows. Paul remembered how he wanted every word to be perfect; completely expressing the love he felt for her. Now he was embarking on the same daunting task only this time, it was going to take a lot more convincing to prove his love for her. He had broken his vows of marriage. There was no hiding it anymore. If anything, once Steph had found out about Michelle, he flaunted it in his wife's face while in their very own home. While Stephanie had not always been the perfect wife, she didn't deserve what he had put her through: the cheating and the miscarriage. He felt guilty about both. Paul Levesque was going to beg Stephanie to give him a second chance. Whether or not she would accept him back into her life was the fateful decision that would affect not only his future but their one year old daughter's as well.


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Thirty

"Happy Thanksgiving!" Linda gushed as soon as she opened the front door and saw Stephanie standing on the porch holding Aurora. Both her daughter and granddaughter were dressed lovely for the holiday. Steph's straight hair was neatly pulled back in a ponytail. A little pink bow was nestled in Aurora's light wavy brown locks.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Granny!" Steph answered back with a smile as she leaned in and hugged her mother.

Thursday afternoon had come and Stephanie was back in Greenwich for the annual family Thanksgiving. Steph planned on staying overnight at her parents' house before returning back to Pennsylvania. If this years' Thanksgiving was anything like last years', it would be best if she didn't travel right after. During holidays and parties, the McMahon family liked to have alcohol in abundance; though Stephanie wasn't sure if she really wanted to drink. She wasn't feeling the whole party scene this year.

"Where's Kurt? Didn't he come? I wanted to talk to him about his TNA contract." Vince asked the moment he saw Stephanie and Linda walk into the house closing the door behind them.

"Nice to see you too, Dad, Kurt wasn't able to come. His ex-wife, Karen, told him that he could visit with his kids for the holiday so he went to see them. They aren't officially divorced yet but Karen served him with the papers. He signed them. I think Kurt might be taking this time to talk to Kyra." Stephanie explained with a smile greeting her father with a hug.

"Poor Kurt, we would have loved to have him. Shane and Marissa are already here with the boys. Let me have your coats." Linda said holding her hands out for her daughter and granddaughter's winter coats.

Stephanie gratefully gave her mother both coats before joining the rest of her family further into the house. It was nice being a part of her family for the holiday. Aurora loved seeing her two older cousins. Shane's younger son, Kenny, was just a little older than Aurora. The two kids enjoyed toddling around the living room after each other while Stephanie talked with her sister-in-law and mother in the kitchen.

"Steph, I must say, you look great." Marissa pointed out helping Linda with the preparation of the side dishes.

"I've been getting that a lot lately. I guess I look great for a woman who is separated from her husband after having a miscarriage." Stephanie said giving a forced laugh while she stirred the mash potatoes in a bowl.

"I didn't mean to bring any of that up. I was noticing how great you look. How's Aurora doing? She looks like she's doing well too." Marissa said changing the subject.

"I'd like to think so. Kurt's really great with her. I just hope that she's adjusting well from Paul and me splitting up."

"I'm sure she's doing fine. She's only a year old. As long as you are okay, she will be okay." Linda assured her daughter.

"I hope so…" Steph replied before taking a deep breath.

"Are you going to leave some for everyone else?" Shane asked his little sister as he watched her flood her turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy. The family was seated at the dining room table with their Thanksgiving feast.

"Shane, be quiet, there's plenty of food." Marissa quickly told her husband. While she knew Shane was just kidding with his sister, she still knew that Stephanie was rather sensitive as of late.

"Yes, everyone please eat as much as you want. Don't let this food go to waste." Linda added before taking a bite of food.

"Mmm, Mom, the food is great." Steph commented after swallowing a good sized bite of food. Aurora sat in her lap nursing on a bottle while watching her cousin's play while eating across the dining room table.

"It is really good, Mom. You did a great job." Shane agreed giving his mother an approving nod.

"So Steph, there's no chance of Kurt stopping by tonight? Do you know when his TNA contract expires?" Vince asked from the head of the table.

"Dad, he's not coming tonight. He's in Pittsburgh visiting his kids. I thought I made that clear. And as far as his TNA contract, I have no idea. We talk about business when we're together." Stephanie replied before taking a sip of apple cider.

The sound of the doorbell echoed through the McMahon mansion signaling the arrival of an unexpected visitor. Stephanie, Shane, and Marissa all looked surprised. Since it was a holiday, and everyone who was expected was there, they had no idea who could be showing up. Linda went to get up from her seat by Vince jumped up from his seat and insisted that he get the door. He was smiling with somewhat of a spring to his step.

"I bet that's Angle. See Steph, I told you there was a chance he would show up. He's an Olympic gold medalist, he's not like anyone else." Vince said happily as he left the dining room.

"Wow, someone changed his tune about Kurt." Shane pointed out looking across the table at his sister.

"Happy Thanksgiving Ku-"

Vince stopped mid way through his greeting after he swung the front door open. His warm welcoming smile quickly faded when he saw that the man standing on his porch was not Kurt Angle but his son-in-law, Paul Levesque.

"You're not Kurt Angle. What do you want?" Vince asked closing the door a bit so that Paul could not see inside the house.

"Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Vince, and no, I'm not Kurt Angle. I need to speak with Stephanie." Paul replied looking his father-in-law directly in the eyes. He wanted Vince to know that he was being completely sincere.

"I don't think that's going to happen. Stephanie's quite happy now and I'd like to keep it that way." Vince replied as he began to close the door.

"I'm not leaving until I speak with my wife! Now I don't want any trouble, I just want to speak with Steph!" Levesque hollered back as he used his hand to hold open the door to keep it from slamming shut in his face.

"If you think I'm going to let you in my house after you scream at me, you've got another thing coming! No one is going to speak to me that way!" Vince shouted back. His muscles tensed as his face began to turn bright red with anger.

"Vince, let him in. His wife and daughter are here and he has a right to see them." Linda told her husband approaching him while he was still standing at the door standing in the way of Paul coming into the home.

With some hesitation, Vince did what his wife asked of him. He took a step back from the door which allowed Levesque to enter the house. His eyes remained fixed on his son-in-law; the man that he had once believed to be a good match for his daughter. McMahon felt like he had misjudged Paul Levesque. How could that have happened? Vince was always so good at seeing through people and their false pretenses. Why couldn't he have seen the affair that had been going on between Levesque and Michelle North? Why didn't he protect his daughter?

"If it wasn't for Aurora, you would never be stepping foot this house again. From now on, the relationship between us is strictly business. Do you understand?" Vince asked sternly before Paul could walk away from him and further into the house.

"Whatever Vince…" Paul blurted out under his breath. He was so tired of Stephanie's family putting on the blame on him. As if Stephanie was without fault in all of this. Did Vince and Linda ever stop to think why he had looked for comfort in the arms of Michelle?

Steph's eyes widened when she saw her husband standing in the archway connecting the dining room to the main hallway. Seeing him standing there only a few feet away caused her to feel sick to her stomach. Why was he there? Stephanie knew for sure that he hadn't been invited by any member of her family.

"Steph, I really need to talk with you in private. I want to talk about Aurora. Can we go for a short walk outside with Aurora? Please?" Paul asked in a soft spoken voice while looking right into her eyes. His voice was gentle and kind. It reminded Steph of the husband she had once loved. The Paul Levesque that had been sweet and gentle during their courtship and even after they fell in love and married; it was only a short while after Aurora was born that the hateful qualities began to surface.

Reluctantly, Stephanie did as her husband requested. After putting their winter coats on, Stephanie holding Aurora walked out into the backyard with Levesque. Steph had to admit, she was somewhat curious about what he could possibly want to talk to her about. What could he possibly have to say about her or their child that would make her feel any less hurt about what he had pulled?

"All right, Paul. You have us out in the cold away from my family. What do you want to say?" Steph asked impatiently as she stopped walking by his side when they reached the middle of the backyard area. She wasn't keen on walking the perimeter of the property awaiting her husband to spit out what he had to say.

"I want you and Aurora back…I know I was a complete asshole but I'm ready to recommit to you guys. I now realize how important you and Aurora are to me and I don't want to lose you…"

"Oh so you think I should just forgive you. Just like that, huh? You screw around with a slut behind my back for a year. Sleep with her in our bed, let her wear my clothing! You chose that whore of us! You made your bed, now lie in it!" Steph lashed out in a scolding voice as if Paul was a petulant child that she was correcting.

"Michelle is history. I broke up with her. I don't want her, I want you! I want us to be a family again." Paul told his wife looking into her blue eyes that were filled with doubt as she turned her head slightly. It was obvious that she wasn't ready to trust his put on sincerity.

"Steph, I know we can get passed this. Think about Aurora. She's the innocent in all of this. She deserves to have a whole family. It doesn't matter who did what to who anymore. It's about our baby girl. She needs her daddy in her life. She needs us to be together." Levesque whispered, his eyes shifting to his small child on the hip of his wife. She was looking back at him with a wet smile.

"I don't know if I could ever get passed the affair or the miscarriage. We're broken, Paul. Can't you see that?" Steph asked looking right into his eyes while hers filled with tears.

"It's not too late to pick of the pieces. Look at your parents, they overcame the same hurdles were facing now. And now look at them, they're happy grandparents. Could you imagine how you're life would have been different if they divorced? Do you want that for Aurora?" Paul asked pointing to their child.

"No…I don't…" Steph muttered through her tears before giving her baby a kiss on the forehead.

"We owe it to Aurora to wipe the slate clean. I don't care if you spent the last few weeks in Pittsburgh with Kurt Angle. That petty shit doesn't mean anything to me compared to the thought of not having you in my life as my wife." He whispered taking Stephanie's left hand in his. His hand was caressing where her wedding ring used to be. She had stopped wearing it after finding out about the affair.

"How can I ever trust you again? How can I go back and live where so many painful memories took place? I think something died between us with or unborn tiny baby."

Paul began to lose his composure as he slowly sunk to his knees. Hearing his wife bringing up all the painful memories of the past few months overwhelmed him with guilt. He felt like he was pleading a case that he simply could not win. There was too much evidence of his past behavior that was influencing his wife. It was keeping her from remembering the happy memories from their marriage. He wasn't ready to give up on her taking him back. Stephanie belonged with him and so did their one year old daughter.

"Stephy, you have to come back to me. I'm shit with you. We can go to marriage counseling, whatever you want. I'll do whatever it takes for you to find it in your heart to forgive me. I want us to give Aurora a happy family with her mommy and her daddy. Please forgive me baby…" Paul sobbed leaning forward and into his wife's legs like he was begging.

"Dadda?" Aurora called in somewhat of a fuss. Seeing her father crying at the foot of her mother was enough to unnerve the baby.

Her calling out to her father caused Stephanie to focus her thoughts on her daughter's needs. Paul was her daddy and she did love him. Would breaking up their family be the right thing for Steph to do for her child? Stephanie knew without a shadow of a doubt that if she and Paul were without a child, she wouldn't have ever wanted to see him again. But they did have a child together. They were parents to a beautiful baby girl who counted on both of them for security and love. Aurora's needs were more important than Stephanie's. Aurora was more important than any of the feelings that Steph had. She owed it to her child to try her hardest to repair the shattered remains of their family.

Slowly, Stephanie lowered herself into a crotch so that she could be on the same level as her crying husband. She gave him a weak heartfelt smile before taking him into her arms for an embrace while they both continued to cry. This was her way of telling Paul that she was going to come back to him. She was going to work on fixing her marriage. She swallowed hard feeling a lump in her throat as she thought about Kurt. She really did love him and she knew that she was going to break his heart. She couldn't have it both ways. Stephanie was going to have to sacrifice what her heart wanted for the good of her child. Steph had always put family first and this was no different.


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Thirty-One

Stephanie had a hard enough time explaining to her family her reasons for taking Paul back. She was going to have an even more difficult time explaining it to Kurt. She felt like a heavy weight was hanging overhead which was most definitely going to fall on her. Without a doubt, she was going to hurt Kurt. It was no secret how much he cared about her. He had taken her and her daughter graciously into his home when she felt like she had nowhere else to go. Angle had promised her nothing but love and security, and now she was going to be betraying that. She felt sick to her stomach. Stephanie knew that she couldn't wait until the next day to travel back to Pittsburgh and face him. There would be no way of getting any sleep with this on her mind. She and Paul decided it would be best for him to take Aurora home to their house while she flew back to Pittsburgh to get her and Aurora's things and say goodbye to Kurt.

The rest of the Thanksgiving with her family was somber. No one attempted to make any conversation with Paul when join Steph back in the house. It was clear to her family what Stephanie had chosen and they knew what had to follow between her and Kurt. It was clear that both Vince and Linda both wanted to give her daughter some parting words of wisdom before she set out on her own to break the news to Angle but they failed to find any. They couldn't have helped noticing the positive change in Stephanie when she started spending time with Kurt, and now she was breaking it off. They feared that with the departure of Kurt from her life the happiness he brought to her would also disappear.

Stephanie nursed a diet pepsi while she sat aboard the WWE corporate jet. The carbonated drink did very little to settle her stomach which felt like it was in a tight knot. She was dreading the moment of arrival at Kurt's home. Steph didn't know how Kurt was going to react to the news. Would he be furious? Would he break down in tears? Or would he be understanding? She didn't know. Stephanie did know that Kurt was very fond of Aurora. Perhaps he would understand that Steph was only trying to make her marriage work with Paul for the sake of her child.

"Don't be all night. You don't owe him any explanation, honey. Our relationship is none of his business. Just get Aurora and your things and come home." Paul had instructed his wife before she left for the flight. While it would have been easy to take this approach, Steph couldn't do it. She had fallen for Kurt and those feelings didn't go away when she decided to give Paul another chance. She was going to have to explain her actions to him. It was the least she could do since she was breaking off their budding relationship.

"Hey Stephy, I didn't expect you back tonight. I thought you were going to stay overnight at your parents' house." Kurt commented with a smile after opening the front door for her.

Stephanie gave Kurt a smile which quickly faded. She didn't reply as she slowly took her coat off not wanting to look at Kurt's face. He was genuinely happy to see her back earlier than expected. The feeling of his loving gaze made her feel even worse about herself and what she was going to have to tell him.

"Where's Aurora? Didn't she come back with you?" Kurt asked noticing the absence of Steph's baby girl.

"No, she's with her father…Kurt, we need to talk." Steph said slowly in a soft voice. This, she thought, was the best opportunity to unload the bombshell that she had been so nervous about delivering all night. It was best to get it over with as soon as possible. There was no sense in pretending that everything was okay.

"Steph, what's the matter? Are you okay? You look upset about something. Did Paul show up and say something to you? He didn't put his hands on you, did he?" Angle asked. His voice was full of concern for her well being. He knew her well enough to know when something was troubling her. The fact that she wasn't looking him in the eyes worried him.

"No he didn't hurt me. He asked me to come back home to him…And I said I would."

Stephanie closed her eyes after finishing her sentence. She knew her words had to be like daggers cutting him to the quick. She didn't want to look at him. Seeing the look on his face, which she knew would be that of sadness and pain, would most definitely make her lose her composure. She still loved him but she had already made the decision to let him go in order to try and fix her marriage for her child. She opened her eyes when she heard his voice break an awkward silence.

"Why would you say that, Steph? What about us? Don't I mean anything to you?" Kurt finally asked after a few seconds. It must have taken a moment for her words to sink in.

"Kurt, this has nothing to do with us. You're an amazing guy and I did fall for you. You took care of me during the worst ordeal of my life. But I have to think about what's best for Aurora." Steph explained as she began to walk further into the house toward the stairs.

"What are you talking about? Do you think going back to that selfish asshole is doing what's best for Aurora? I love Aurora and I love you! Don't let him guilt you into taking him back, Steph! Don't do it! He doesn't deserve the two of you!" Kurt replied back with so much emotion that he was almost shouting.

"Kurt please, you're making this more difficult than it already is!" Steph hollered back. She was on the verge of tears as she started to ascend the stairs. She just wanted to get her things together and leave. She didn't want to talk about it anymore with Kurt. It just made her feel even more terrible than she already did.

"Look me in my eyes and tell me that you don't love me…" Kurt muttered in a low tone of voice as he grabbed hold of her hand and forced her to turn around while on the stairs. When she did turn around he was standing right next to her on the stair below her. He looked dead serious as he waited for a response.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt…I'm just doing what I think is best for my family." She replied as a tear fell from each of her eyes.

"See, you can't even say it! I can't believe you're doing this to me. I had to tell my four year old little girl that her mommy and I aren't going to be together anymore. I had to explain to her that I would be able to see her and her brother as much as I would like to anymore. I lost my family and now you're making me lose you and Aurora?"

Kurt stopped talking when he started to get choked up. He was trying hard not lose his composer but the lump in his throat was getting bigger as he thought about no longer having Stephanie in his life. Angle made eye contact with Steph as he slowly took the step up so that they were both standing together on the same step.

"I'm so sorry…The last thing I wanted was to hurt you…" She cried bringing her hand to his face. Slowly she ran her fingertips down his cheek. Stephanie could see how upset he was. It only proved to her how much he really did care about her. He looked like he was in physical pain; his body shaking underneath her touch. Steph would have done anything to take his hurt away.

She parted her lips before slowly closing the space between them. Angle was quick to meet her halfway with his awaiting lips. The kiss started out tender but it quickly turned fierce as Kurt took her into his arms for an embrace. He wanted to hold on to her forever and not let her go back to Paul. Their eyes were both closed while they enjoyed the passion that was between them. Angle only hoped that this kiss would convince her not to leave. Steph was slow to end the kiss because she knew it was going to have to be the last kiss they ever shared.

"I have to go get my things." She whispered as she removed her arms from around his broad neck. It was this statement that signaled Angle to let her out of the hug they were in. He was reluctant to let her go but did. It was clear that no amount of love was going to keep her from going back to her husband. They were over.

Angle didn't try and stop her while she collected her things from the upstairs master bedroom and the nursery. He stayed on the first floor sitting on one of his couches with his face in his hands. Stephanie had to keep reminding herself about the family she had waiting for her at home. She kept promising herself that she was going to mend her relationship with Paul for the good of their child. These thoughts were the only thing keeping her on task as she packed her luggage. The kiss she had shared with Kurt on the stairs only proved to her how deep her feelings were for him. She should have never kissed him. Knowing that it was their last kiss only made it harder on both of them.

"Don't forget this…"

Stephanie jumped slightly hearing Kurt's voice break the silence while she placed her luggage by the front door. She turned to face the living room where he was approaching her from with one of Aurora's stuffed animals in his hand. It was a stuffed bunny that was one of her favorite things to play with.

"I found it underneath one of the couches. She must have put it there and forgot about it." Kurt explained as he handed the toy over to Steph who thanked him in a quiet voice.

"Would you tell her goodbye for me? I know she's too little to understand but still…I want her to know that I still love and care about her." Angle muttered still looking down at the stuffed toy that was now in Stephanie's hand. Steph looked a bit surprised by how attached Kurt had gotten to Aurora.

"I am completely in love with you, Stephanie. Aurora is a part of you. And I love that part as much as any other."

"Paul is Aurora's father. He loves her and he wants to fix our family. I'm doing this for Aurora. If you love her like you say you do, then you'll sacrifice what we have together for her. That's what I'm doing." Steph whispered back before slowly turning away from Angle. The limo driver was still waiting in the driveway.

"He doesn't love you like I do. But go ahead, go back to him. Put up with his greed and selfishness but don't expect me to be there for your next rebound. I can't just be a safe place for you to land when your marriage is on the rocks. I won't do it again. I guess you can consider the time we spent together just a meaningless fling because that must be all I am to you." Angle retorted; his voice showing the anger and frustration that was beginning to build. Hearing Stephanie bring up the fact that Paul was Aurora's father, while using it as an excuse for her returning to Levesque infuriated him. It was like she was tossing their relationship aside for the delusion of what she thought was best for her child.

"That's not true! Kurt-"

"Just leave!" Kurt hollered cutting Stephanie off in mid sentence.

"You've got your things! I'm sure that's the only reason you came back at all! I have house shows all this weekend, I need rest! There's the door! Go on, run back to Paul! Have a happy fucking Thanksgiving!" He yelled not giving her a chance to interject. His voice was coarse and sounded like he was on the verge of crying again.

Tears flowed from her eyes while the limo driver placed the luggage in the trunk of the limo. Angle didn't even move from where he stood at one of the front room windows that overlooked his driveway. Steph was watching him through the tinted windows of the limousine. She could only see his outline against the darkness inside the front room. Stephanie actually found herself wishing he would run after her. She wanted to leave on good terms. Though who was she kidding? She was leaving Kurt to go back to her husband. There was no way that Kurt wasn't going to be the one hurt. His tears and anger were certainly justified. Steph just wished that he knew that she really did love him. He had given her more than one opportunity to say it to his face but she never took it. She knew why. If she had admitted to Kurt that she loved him in return, it would have given him reason to believe that there was still a chance for them to be together. They couldn't be together if she wanted to fix her broken family.

It was when the black limousine began to slowly pull away from Kurt's house that Stephanie realized that she had followed through with her decision. There was no recourse. She had cut off the blossoming relationship between her and Kurt. She was now returning to Greenwich to be with her husband and child. It was where she belonged. She was giving her marriage to Paul Levesque a shot at a new beginning for the sake of their daughter. If this was really what was best then why did walking out on Kurt feel like such a mistake?


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Thirty-Two

"Hey, I was wondering when you were going to get back. What took you so long?" Paul asked meeting Stephanie at the door. He gave her a quick peck on the lips before she even had time to react.

Paul was relieved that his wife had returned home. She had taken longer than he had expected to collect her and the baby's things at Angle's house. During the hours of waiting the thought of Steph changing her mind and wanting to stay with Kurt plagued Levesque's thoughts. He wasn't going to fully believe that she was being serious about coming back to him until he saw her walk through the front door of their home. She had done just that. He now had another chance to make it work.

"I had to say goodbye to Kurt. Let's just leave it at that." Steph finally replied after taking a moment to scan her oh so familiar surroundings after dropping her luggage.

"Are you hungry? I could fix us something to eat." Paul offered trying his best to close the gaps of silence that Stephanie created after her reply. He was determined to be on his best behavior. After all, he had promised Stephanie that he was going to change for the better.

"I'm not really hungry. You can go ahead and make yourself something if you want. Where's Aurora?" Steph inquired shifting the focus of their conversation onto their daughter.

"She's asleep in the nursery. I put her down about an hour or so ago." Levesque told his wife as he lifted her luggage off the floor with ease.

"I'm going to go check on her." Steph muttered before she began ascending the nearby grand staircase.

"Steph, she's fine. You're only going to wake her up. I'll put the luggage in our room." He replied following behind carrying all her luggage.

Stephanie quietly poked her head into the dark nursery. With the flick of a switch, the room became semi illuminated by a pink glowing nightlight. She slipped in the half open door and began to creep over to Aurora's crib. There was her baby girl sleeping soundly on her back. The infant looked completely at ease without a care in the world. Stephanie smiled as she tucked Aurora in with a light pink blanket that was only covering her ankles and feet. She then leaned over the crib rail and kissed her child ever so gently as not to wake her.

"I love you my sweet baby girl. Mom's going to try her best to fix things. I just want you to be happy and healthy." Stephanie whispered softly before leaning down and giving her sleeping baby a kiss on the cheek.

"Is she still asleep?" Paul asked when his wife walked into their master bedroom. Steph didn't look at him when she walked into the room. She went right over to her chest of draws to grab a pair of pajamas to change into.

"Yes she is. I don't have any baby food on hand so I'll have to go to the store tomorrow." She report as if she was talking to herself and not to her husband.

"We still have some in the pantry. Just relax, okay? You're home now…Where you and Aurora belong…" Levesque said in a soft soothing voice as he approached his wife from behind.

Gently, he traced his fingertips down the length of Stephanie's soft arms. Paul had always loved caressing her. It had felt like a life time had gone by since the last time he was able to lovingly touch her. He could only hope that she had missed his gentle caressing. He could not see her face because her back was to him.

"Paul, I think we need to take things slow." Stephanie blurted out as she turned to face her husband. Her movement to turn her body caused Paul to remove his hands from her body.

"Yeah, I understand. I'm sorry. I just missed you baby." Levesque admitted as he tried again by taking a step closer to close the space between him and his wife. He was somewhat determined to close the gap that was between them due to their marital problems.

"Really?" Steph asked raising her right eyebrow slightly as she looked her husband directly in the eyes.

She had not made the comment to try and pick a fight but to convey how surprised she felt after hearing her husband profess how much he missed her. How far he had come from the morning she found him at the breakfast table with Michelle North. Stephanie kept these thoughts to herself as she felt Paul's warm hand begin to caress her face as he slowly nodded.

"I love you Stephanie. I want you…" He whispered with a bit of force behind his voice as his hand began to rub her inner thigh signaling to his wife exactly what he wanted. It was obvious he didn't understand what she meant by wanting to take this slow.

"Paul!" Steph scolded using both of her hands to remove his one hand from her lower half. "I don't want to be intimate with you until you get a full blood panel. You were with that slut and who knows what kind of sexual transmitted diseases you were exposed to. You don't want me to take that risk do you?"

"Steph, I had her tested. You know I'm smarter than that. I would never put myself or you at risk." Levesque quickly replied as if making sure Michelle was tested before sleeping with her was done for Stephanie's best interest.

"It's just going to take me some time. One step at a time, okay? I moved back into the house, didn't I?"

"Please don't do this to us, Steph. You know deep in your heart that you wanting me to be tested is just an excuse to keep me from touching you. I'm your husband, baby. If we are going to have any chance at making this marriage work then you're going to have to give me all of you."

"I'm going to try, Paul. I can't just forget about everything that happened and see you as the man I married four years ago. It doesn't work that way. It's going to take time." Stephanie explained hoping that Paul would understand where she was coming from.

"I'm still the same man you married. Flaws and all, I'm still the same, Stephanie. I'm the man you feel in love with, I'm the very same man who gave you Aurora." Paul replied taking his wife's hands in his.

"I'm trying Paul, it's just so hard. Everything you put me through robbed me of pieces of the unconditional love I once felt for you. I'm trying to get those pieces back for us and our child."

"Forget about trying to work through the past. We both did things to hurt each other. Neither one of us is innocent in all this. We have to wipe the slate clean." Paul muttered taking his wife into his arms slowly.

Stephanie internalized her husband's words as she put her arms around Paul's neck to accept his hug. He did have a point and her knowing it made the guilt set in. Steph had been quick to think of all her husband's indiscretions while forgetting her own. In the mist of their separation, she had found herself in the arms of another man. Steph had slept in the bed of Kurt Angle and had preformed acts with him that were traditionally reserved for holy matrimony. And now, after making the decision to return to Paul, she was refusing to make love with him.

Stephanie closed her eyes and leaned in close to her husband allowing him to kiss her. Paul picked up on her subtle sign of willingness to give into his wanting for sexual contact. He tenderly pressed his lips to hers breathing in deep. He wanted to take in the faint scent of his wife's perfume that had all but evaporated due to the length of her stressful day.

Steph had no problem allowing her husband's have complete control of their kiss. She kept her eyes shut while allowing him access to her mouth as she felt him begin to tug at her clothing. Paul was gentle with his soft kisses that trailed down her neck while his fingers fiddled with the buttons of her shirt. His kisses explored the rest of her body and in no time at all he had stripped both himself and Stephanie of every article of clothing. It was when he gently pushed her back onto their bed that Steph finally opened her eyes. Her blue eyes widened a bit as she watched Paul smile while he crawled between her legs. She was looking up at Paul as she felt their naked bodies touching. He wasn't acting any differently in the bedroom with his foreplay but Stephanie felt different. Despite the number of deep passionate kisses Paul was giving her, she wasn't feeling the heat that used to be always present every time they had made love in the past. She was disconnected from him and felt like a young teenage girl who was about to be led through her first sexual experience.

One quick and hard motion by Paul's lower half caused Stephanie to moan aloud in a way that could not be mistaken for pleasure. She closed her eyes hard and breathed in deep and she could hear her husband moan her name while he continued his slow rhythm on top of her.

"You're so good…" Paul whispered through his ecstasy as he suddenly began to quicken his movements causing his wife to wince even more to show her discomfort.

Opening her eyes, Stephanie told herself to relax. If she would only calm down and enjoy being with her husband, the pain would subside. Thankfully her bodily instincts began to take over allowing the pain to subside. Still, she was not able to relax enough to allow herself to feel pleasure. Her eyes focused on the designer sheets that lay draped over her husband's naked back. They were the same sheets she had put on the bed weeks ago when she was had least slept in the bed. Paul had not bothered to change the bed sheets since. It was then that Steph's thoughts drifted to Paul being with his mistress in their home. She was most definitely in the same bed sheets as Michelle had been in with Paul. It had been this very bed that he had made love to her in; their sacred marriage bed. It was sacred no longer. Stephanie knew that she wouldn't be able to relax and enjoy being made love to.

As Paul's pace quickened even more so, her eyes focused on his face. His eyes were closed and his head was tilted upward as if he was looking at the wall. Levesque's lips were parted allowing moans of overwhelming pleasure to escape from them. He wasn't even looking at her while they made love. In the past, seeing Paul's gleaming hazel eyes would always be fixed on her while they shared their intimacy. Just like her, it didn't seem like he was connecting with her either. Was he just going through the motions? Was he really making love to her or had she become a replacement for his hand?

"Yesssss…" Paul hissed as he arched his body making all his movements cease. Steph closed her eyes for a moment knowing that he was finished. When she opened her eyes again she was met with a smile and then a passionate kiss. During the kiss, Stephanie couldn't help but think of the fact that his lips had been on that whore Michelle. Steph even thought for a moment that she could smell Michelle's nauseating perfume as she laid Levesque continued to kiss her.

"Do you want to cuddle a little bit?" Paul asked with a big smile plastered on his face. He had moved off of his wife and was now lying next to her in their bed. His arms were open and willing to take her into his arms for the usual hugs and kisses before they both drifted off to sleep. At least that's what would usually happen between them after making love.

"No, I think I'm going to take a quick shower. It's been a long day." Stephanie replied while throwing the covers off of her and on to her husband. She didn't want to lie in that bed for another second.

"Okay, babe, don't be too long." Paul replied as he shifted in bed and turned on his side so that he now had his back to her. He used his right arm to turn out his bedside light and Stephanie followed suit with the one on her side of the bed before she walked to the master bathroom.

Steph let out a long sigh as the warm water showered her naked body. She was finally able to allow her emotions to spill free. A few tears of sadness and frustration trailed down her face which she quickly wiped away with her hand. With a soft green wash cloth in hand, she began to scrub her naked body starting with her face and working her way down. She was vigorously scrubbing the soaped up cloth against her skin in order to wash away all the sweat and grime.

She felt dirty. Being between those tainted bed sheets with her husband had not been enjoyable in the least. She knew she should have never agreed to make love with Paul the very first night she returned to him. They should have taken it slow and eased back into living together again. Didn't he notice the lack of connection? Probably not, by the end of it he seemed very pleased and fulfilled. If he wasn't able to gauge her level of enjoyment or lack thereof, then maybe it would be best if they wait awhile before having sex again. There were a lot of things that needed to be repaired between them as husband and wife before they would be able to have that connection between the sheets that they once had. Paul and Stephanie were going to have to create new memories together as a couple in order to erase the painful ones that Paul had created by carrying on his affair with Michelle. Steph wondered if they were going to be able to go back to being the couple they once were.


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Thirty-Three

"I've got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it's cold outside I've got the month of May. Well I guess you'd say. What can make me feel this way? My girl, talkin' 'bout my girl." Paul sang to himself with charisma while rinsing is hair in the shower.

It was the first day in a long time that he had woken up feeling great. It was terrific being intimate with his wife again because he knew that it was only bringing them back together quicker. Despite the sexual chemistry that he shared with Michelle North, sex with his wife Stephanie was always amazing; when he could get it. Sure Steph was a more conventional lover, but being a McMahon she had an intensity that could not be matched by any other woman. Besides, she was the mother of his child. Paul knew that if he got his marriage in check then his career would go back to being on the up and up. Being drafted to SmackDown was a temporary demotion due to his indiscretions. Since his relationship with his wife was on the mend, it would only be a matter of time before he was given back his main event status on RAW and start sitting on meetings again.

"I've got so much honey the bees envy me. I've got sweeter song than the birds in the trees…" Paul sang belting out the second verse of "My Girl" by The Temptations. He was quickly drying his large frame and his hair with a dark blue towel after stepping out of the shower. He was aiming for the heated towel rack when he threw the towel but it missed and fell to the floor. Levesque smiled and shrugged before turning his attention to his damp hair. A quick comb through followed by pulling the dirty blonde hair back in a neat ponytail was all the tending the hair needed.

"Hey, you were up early this morning. I woke up and you were out of bed." Paul commented when he saw his wife in their master bed room as he walked in the room naked and all smiles.

"Actually, I slept in one of the guest rooms. There was no way I was going to sleep in those dirty sheets. I'm throwing them away." Stephanie explained through gritted teeth while she ripped the sheets from the bed with a great deal of force that she almost ripped them.

"That's fine. Thanks for changing them. It had been awhile. You know I'm not as good at keeping house as you are, honey. I'm much better at, well, other things." Paul replied with a cocky smile as he looked down at his naked lower half. He was waiting for his wife to laugh and agree with him but there was no response so he quickly changed the subject.

"How about I make us some breakfast? What are you in the mood for?"

"Dad called me this morning and he invited me to meet him and Mom for breakfast at Versailles." Steph said pulling the pillow cases off each of the pillows and throwing the sheets in the pile she had made on the floor.

"He invited you? Not us as a family?" Paul asked while he put on a pair of briefs. He was trying to find out just what his father-in-laws intent was with the invitation. Did Stephanie just make a mistake in relaying Vince's message or was her father really excluding him from a breakfast get together on Greenwich Avenue?

"Well he mentioned me bringing Aurora but Mom said that she should spend time with you and I should just come. I doubt you're missing anything. We're probably just going to go over some ideas for RAW and SmackDown." Steph said trying to smooth over her husband's worries of exclusion.

"Yeah right well I guess it's going to be a while before I win your parents' trust back again; especially your father's. I'm really unpopular with him right now."

Levesque really was out of favor with Vince. He had been on Mr. McMahon's shit list ever since he found out about the affair when Stephanie went into the hospital from miscarrying. Maybe Vince even saw Steph's miscarriage as being Paul's fault. It was in the second Paul lost his self control that he regretfully pushed Steph away from him and ultimately caused her to fall down the stairs and land on delicate abdomen.

"So you don't mind staying home with Aurora?" Steph asked wanting to find out if her husband was really upset by not being invited to breakfast with the family.

"No I don't mind. Go have a good time, Aurora and I will spend the morning together. After all the time we've spent apart lately, I'm surprised she still knows me." Paul replied watching his wife collect the dirty bed sheets off the floor so that she could throw them away.

"Oh please Paul, Aurora wasn't away from you for that long. You're her father, of course she knows you." Steph said quickly dismissing her husband's remark.

Once Stephanie threw the designer bed sheets in the outside garbage, she quickly gathered up her purse, car keys, and Blackberry that had been charging in its docking station. She was met by her husband and baby when she walked toward the laundry room where the connecting door to the garage was located.

"Okay you two, I shouldn't be but an hour or two. She will probably need to be changed within the next hour so just keep checking her." Stephanie directed to her husband as she took a moment to say goodbye to them. Paul nodded and assured her that they would be fine without her for a mere hour or two. It was when Steph started to walk toward the door to the garage that Aurora began to fuss.

"Mama!" Aurora whined beginning to wriggle her body against her father's grasp as he held her in his arms. She was trying to wiggle free. Both her arms were outstretched her mother's direction.

"Aurora, Mommy will be back soon. You stay with Daddy."

"What did I tell you? She never used to act like this!" Paul hollered showing his frustration. It really wasn't yelling out of anger. Stephanie could tell that their daughter's current preference of her over her father was bothering Paul. Aurora however was still too young of a child to pick up on her daddy's feelings. She just knew she wanted her mommy.

"I'm just going to go. I'm sure she will settle down once I leave. Just call me if you're still having trouble."

Aurora really had a pair of lungs on her. Steph slowly shook her head while she got into her BMW. She could hear her child screaming and crying from where she was in the garage. The sound had no problem traveling through the laundry room and through the wall to the garage. A part of Stephanie wanted to go back into the house and take Aurora with her. It would have certainly made her carrying on cease. But that wouldn't have been the right thing to do. Paul was Aurora's father and she needed to be with him too. She usually loved spending time with her daddy. What was causing her to act this way? Was Aurora picking up on her mother's feelings toward her father? Surely a one year old child would be unable to internalize her mommy's feelings of resentment. Maybe it was the teething and her feeling clingy to her mother. Either way, Steph was sure that Paul would work through it just fine with his daughter.

"Good morning, sweetheart! You look great! I hope you don't mind I went ahead and ordered you." Linda said with enthusiasm greeted her daughter with a warm smile and hug as soon as Stephanie walked into Versailles.

"Hi Mom, hi Dad, no I don't mind that you ordered. Sorry I took so long but there were some things I needed to do around the house. And right when I was leaving Aurora started screaming and crying for me. I don't know what that was about." Steph explained sitting down at the table with her mother and father.

"Well I'm not surprised." Vince muttered under his breath as he looked down at his menu. Stephanie narrowed her eyes a bit caught off guard by her father's remark.

"Was it okay that I ordered the oversized waffles for you, Steph?" Linda asked quickly in an attempt to change the subject. Her question was accompanied by a slight nudge with her elbow into Vince's arm.

"Oh yeah, actually I think I might add a short stack of blueberry pancakes. The food is so great here and I'm starving. Why are you not surprised, Dad?"

"Well with all the yelling and screaming Paul does. I'm not surprised that Aurora wants to stay with you. I witnessed his temper first hand at Thanksgiving when he came to talk to you. Aurora is probably afraid of him." McMahon replied not letting the elbow jab from his wife stifle what he was going to say about his son-in-law.

"Aurora is not afraid of her father. Paul is nothing but a loving Daddy to her. You know that." Stephanie said in a firm voice as she looked directly into her father's eyes to show her sincerity about the topic at hand.

"What about Aurora's mother? How does Paul talk to you in front of your daughter? Has my granddaughter ever witnessed her father verbally abuse you?" Vince asked as he raised an eyebrow. He knew that he was making a valid point and his questions were somewhat rhetorical.

Her father's line of questioning caused Stephanie to break eye contact with her dad. The questions he raised made her quite uneasy. She knew the point her father was making and it made her wonder if it really was a legitimate concern for her to have about her husband's past behavior in regards to her child. Steph quickly thought back to all the arguments she had with Paul in the past that Aurora had been privy to. The night of Stephanie's miscarriage stuck out in her mind. Even in the throes of pain, Steph remembered the terrified look in her one year old child's eyes after the push from Paul and the hard tumble down the staircase.

"She has seen Paul and me at our worst as a couple but she's only a year old. She's too young for it to have affected her. She doesn't like yelling and other loud noises just like any child her age. She's fine." Steph finally said doing her best to answer her father's series of questions.

She didn't go into the specifics she had been thinking about. There was no sense in bringing up the miscarriage to her parents because she knew that they already knew about it. They had been right there at the hospital after it happened. It had been one of the worst days of Stephanie's life and she didn't want to bring up at the breakfast table to appease her father's inquiry.

"Linda, didn't you tell me about an article that you read in Greenwich magazine where it said that it is now being scientifically proven that even children as young as infancy can be negatively affected by parents who are verbally abusive to either the child or his or her spouse?" Vince asked paraphrasing the article's finding as he turned to look at his wife. Steph looked away from both her parents for a moment a she thought about the psychological conclusions that had been made which her father had been so candid to share with her.

"Vince, we are done discussing this. We're here together as a family to enjoy breakfast. It doesn't matter how what either of us think. Stephanie is a grown woman and she knows what is best for her and her daughter. She and Paul decided to work things out with Paul. With forgiveness comes the ability to forget past indiscretions for the sake of reconciliation. Change to topic of conversation or we can start discussing your past behavior." Linda quickly replied in a somewhat businesslike tone of voice. She was able to put a stop to Vince's antics without batting an eye as she smiled politely at the waiter who approached the table with the food.

Steph eyes widened and she then took a big gulp of water from her water glass after hearing her mother's well spoken reply. After putting the glass down on the table, she used her right hand to massage her head. A dull headache was beginning to form after her father's harping on Paul's parenting and the brain freeze she has just given herself with the large amount of ice water she just drank. But she couldn't put much of the blame on the ice water. Linda said what she did in order to stick up for her daughter. But for some reason, her mother's assessment of what she was going through with Paul in getting back together unsettled her.

"Steph? Steph, the waiter wants to know if you need anything else. A simple yes or no will do." Vince said to his daughter snapping her out of the somewhat dream like state she had entered just a moment ago.

"Oh, yeah, umm could you please bring me a side of blueberry pancakes? Just give me a short stack, thanks." Stephanie finally replied after a second of gathering her thoughts about what she wanted to tell the waiter.

"Hey Steph, I had Laurinaitis look into Kurt Angle's TNA contract. He found out that Angle's contract expires in September 2009 however; there may be a way to get around that via contract clause. I need you to talk to Kurt and find out if he's interested in coming back home to WWE." Vince told his daughter in a lower voice almost like he was talking about a secret that he didn't want the rest of the restaurant to hear.

"I can't talk to Kurt." Steph quickly as she quickly began to cut the large waffle with her fork.

"Why not? You've gotten the closest to him. He'll talk to you."

"No he won't. Kurt probably wants nothing to do with me. I left him to get back together with Paul. I took his love and his trust and threw it away to give the father of my child another chance in making our marriage work. Why don't you have Shane talk with Kurt if you want him in back in WWE that badly? He's still friendly with Shane." Steph answered back before taking her first bite of her syrup coated waffles.

"If I wanted Shane to do it, I would have asked him. You should call him. If he really did care about you, he'll take your call. Just-"

"Dad no, we're done! I'm done talking about Kurt Angle! I'm sure he's happy staying in TNA Wrestling. He probably wants to stay as far away from me is possible. I don't blame him because I feel really bad how we ended things." Steph said cutting her father off before she took larger bites of food that she had stabbed with her fork. Vince looked surprised by the fact that Stephanie cut him off mid sentence.

"Fine let's talk about Triple H on SmackDown." Vince said changing his topic quickly but right back to Paul.

"What about him on SmackDown?" Steph asked under her breath before she rolled her eyes and took another mouth full of waffle.

"Well nothing much other than the fact that he's staying put right where he is. I don't want him pushed what so ever."

"Vince?" Linda said turning to face her husband with a serious look on her face. She didn't want him upsetting their daughter any further.

"No Linda, just because she chose to take him back doesn't mean I have to. I want him to prove himself to me. If he wants to be given a push, he has to show me he deserves it and he can do that by working hard and treating his wife and child with respect and love. No more automatic preferential treatment. The gravy train stops here!" Vince announced with his loud booming voice as he placed his finger on the table to give added effect to what he was saying.

"He's not going to like that…" Steph said in a whisper.

"That's too damn bad. He's lucky he still has a job for all the shit he put you and Aurora through. You can tell him I said that." Vince snapped back with a sneer as he leaned over the table. He spoke with intensity even though he wasn't telling at his daughter. It was the tone of voice that meant business and Stephanie knew it.

After that statement by Vince, the rest of the meal was actually pleasant. He had gotten out what he wanted to say to his daughter. All that was left to talk about was the usually weekly business that they faced every week for writing RAW. They first had to tackle RAW before they could even begin to worry about how SmackDown was shaping up with its team of writers for the next week.

"Hey babe, how was breakfast?" Paul inquired immediately when he saw his wife enter the living room after dropping her purse on the kitchen counter.

"Fine but did you burn something?" Steph asked after sniffing the air.

"Yeah, I didn't do so well at making breakfast for myself. I burnt both the toast and the eggs. It ended up tasting like shit. But that was awhile ago, you can still smell it?"Levesque asked surprised that the smell was still lingering in the house.

"Yeah, I smelt it when I first walked in the house. Paul, why is Aurora in only her diaper?" Stephanie asked moving more into the room to where her child was sitting in the playpen enthralled with one of her favorite sound and music toys. The baby looked much happier than when Stephanie had left her earlier in the morning.

"I ended up getting her food on her clothes while I was feeding her breakfast. She finally calmed down after I put her in the playpen so I thought you could dress her when you came back." He explained watching as he saw Aurora's attention shift from the toy to her mother. The child smiled and quickly got to her feet while holding onto the side of the playpen.

"Hey sweetie, did Daddy get your clothes all dirty? Let's go get you in some clothes." Steph said with a warm smile as she picked up her daughter.

"So what did you and your parents talk about? Let me guess, all about me, right?" Levesque said with a chuckle trying to make light of his current position in the family. His comment wasn't just trying to make light of his situation but to also find out what exactly Vince said about him.

"No not really, we just talked about business." She quickly replied beginning to walk out of the living room with Aurora on her hip.

"What business?" He asked curiously following his wife closely behind. He didn't want general statements but actual detail of the breakfast conversation.

"Business that is none of your business, Paul, now would you please stop bugging me about it? If my dad has something to say to you, he'll tell you to his face. There were other things to talk about at breakfast besides you. You can go on about your business while I change Aurora." Stephanie replied in a somewhat snippy tone of voice.

She had already been questioned by her father today and she wasn't about to be asked numerous questions by her husband. Besides, what was she going to tell her husband? Did he really want to hear about how her father thought that his verbal abuse had a negative effect on their daughter? Did he really want to hear how Vince wasn't going to put him back in his main event position in the company until he proved himself?

Steph's comment made Paul stop in his tracks. He watched his wife walk down the hall with his daughter until she disappeared around a corner. Levesque could feel his anger beginning to built inside of him. He didn't like his wife's smart ass remark to his inquiry about the family business. Being married into the McMahon family meant that he had the right to know about the latest news concerning the company. If Stephanie really was serious about them fixing their relationship so it could be the way it used to be then why was she refusing to include him in the family business? Paul took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He was going to keep his composer no matter how much he wanted to lash out and put his wife in her place. It amazed him how quickly he went from having a great morning to having to control his overwhelming anger and frustration.

"Okay sweetie, let's pick out a nice clean onesie." Steph told her daughter after laying her down on the nursery changing table. Aurora just smiled and laid still for her mommy. She was old enough to know the usual procedure for being changed on the table.

Stephanie pulled open the first draw of the changing table where she kept Aurora's onesies and pajamas. As she grabbed a plan white onesie her eyes spotted the little pink teddy bear that had been tucked away in between pajamas. Steph felt her face form a smile as she sighed removing the stuffed animal from the draw. Slowly, she began to trace her thumb over the gold embroidered letters that read 'Aurora'. A few tears began to form in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away before they had a chance to cascade down her face. Aurora's eyes focused on the pink teddy her mother was holding. She reached out toward the toy to show her mother that she wanted it. Stephanie smiled before turning the teddy bear to face Aurora. She quickly brought it into her daughter's face and made the teddy kiss her rosy cheeks causing Aurora to giggle and grab two handfuls of the stuffed toy. Steph's smile grew letting out a small chuckle as she watched her daughter hug the toy and give kiss bites to its soft plush nose. As much as Paul had not wanted that teddy bear in the house, both Stephanie and Aurora did.


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Thirty-Four

"And the incompetency just keeps coming…" Stephanie muttered to herself on her breath. There she was on Sunday at WWE headquarters in Stamford trying to sort through her work data base that was in complete disarray because of her absence. Turning her work over to her head writer wasn't the smartest decision she had made in awhile; among other things.

Things were misfiled, scripts were sent out to other departments, and all her notes she and the team had composed via conference call the night before had mysteriously disappeared from the company database. Good thing she always had a hardcopy of the notes put into her daytime planner she kept in her office. At least they didn't screw that up. It was the weekend following Thanksgiving which was considered a holiday. If it was just a normal weekend, Steph would have had no problem hauling in the whole creative department for a meeting where she would have to play the role of mother and go over proper procedure of how to perform the day to day tasks within the department while at the same time being completely calm and nice about it so she wouldn't damage her employees fragile little egos. All she needed was another internet article how she was an insecure bitch to her employees. There were enough of those snippets floating around the web already.

Stephanie had been comparing the events listed on the calendar of the work database that was on her office computer and PDA with the ones she had written with pen into her personal day time planner. Her eyes narrowed and she grabbed her nearby pen and used the cap end to hit each date as she counted. Something wasn't right.

"Hey babe, how late are you going to work tonight?" Paul asked walking into his wife's office causing Steph to look up from her planner. She was a bit surprised that her husband had shown up at headquarters.

"Oh, well, umm, everything is all screwed up on the database. I'm still sorting everything out. I'm away for a week or so and this happens." She explained pointing at her computer screen. "Where's Aurora?"

"Your mom and dad are watching her. Why don't you quit for the night and I'll take you out to dinner. You can finish the corrections sometime in the next two days when we go to RAW and SmackDown."

"You're going to RAW tomorrow?" Stephanie asked raising an eyebrow. Paul hadn't been going to RAW since Vince had him drafted to SmackDown.

"Yeah, we're traveling as a family just like we always did. Is there a problem?" Levesque asked somewhat surprised that his wife would even question why he was going to travel with her.

"No there's no problem. I could use a break. Where do you want to go for dinner?"

"I called ahead to Bennett's and made a reservation. I'm craving a good piece of steak." Paul quickly replied moving closer to his wife's desk.

"Okay, that sounds good. I'll meet you there. Let me just pack up my stuff." Steph said as she started to pack up her things and shut down her office computer.

"You don't have to meet me there. We can just leave your car here at headquarters, go have dinner and then I'll drive you back to get your car." Paul offered taking a seat on the edge of Steph's desk as he smiled at his wife.

"That makes no sense. It's already late and I'm not going to feel like going back to pick up my car when I could just drive it there and be able to g straight from the restaurant to pick up Aurora. I told you that I will meet you there. You go ahead. I'll be right behind you."

Paul felt it best not to further argue with his wife. He could see that she had the propensity to become quite agitated. Her having to fix all the mistakes of her creative department never put her in a good mood. Perhaps a good meal would sweeten her disposition. At least she seemed happy he came to invite her to dinner. Her parents on the other hand didn't exactly play polite hosts to him when he showed up to drop off Aurora. After he had handed off Aurora to Linda, Vince was quick to slam the door in his face. Levesque hadn't even been invited in to their home. While he knew that he wasn't very popular with them, he didn't expect to have the door slammed in his face.

Paul drummed his fingers a few times on the white table cloth before looking at his watch. He had been waiting at the restaurant for a good fifteen minutes. He knew he should have insisted that Steph come with him. Like her father, Stephanie was drawn in like a magnet to her work. For her to set the work aside once she had become engrossed in it was very hard. Finally, he saw Steph come around the corner to the area of the restaurant where their table for two was set up.

"What took you so long? I've been sitting here for more than fifteen minutes?" Paul inquired as he watched his wife approach her seat directly across from him.

"There was traffic on 95 right by exit 8. It couldn't be helped. I'll be right back. I have to use the rest room." She replied before turning right around to walk away from the table in search of the rest room with her purse still around her shoulder. She was walking with a purpose as she slipped back around the corner.

Paul was once again left to wait for his wife. He thought about her excuse for being late. The funny thing was that he took the same route to the restaurant from WWE Headquarters and he didn't encounter any traffic on Interstate 95. Why didn't she want to just admit that she was caught up and work and wasn't easily torn away from it? Why make up a lie about the traffic being bad? Paul really wanted to have this time with just him and his wife. It was his hope that taking Aurora out of the equation for just one evening would perhaps help them recapture some of the chemistry they had before they had their child. After a passionate first night back together, a romantic dinner seemed like another great step in getting that love restored.

"Are you okay? It felt like five minutes you were gone." Levesque said as soon as Stephanie returned to the table and this time sat down.

"Yeah I'm fine. Have you ordered yet? I don't even know what I want to have." She quickly replied picking up her menu.

"No I haven't ordered yet. I was waiting for you." Paul answered back as he kept his eyes focused on Steph as she read to herself the appetizers and entrees from the menu.

"Traffic, huh? I find it funny that you said there was traffic on 95 because I came the same way and there wasn't one traffic jam. That's weird." He said looking away as it was now Stephanie who put her menu down and looked at her husband.

"Maybe I was on the interstate during rush hour. You know some of us work late hours in the city. I'm sorry I'm a little late now can we drop it?" Stephanie said forcefully showing her annoyance. She never liked being called into question about what she said. Her father had a knack for doing that and so did her husband.

"Okay fine, shall we order some wine?" He asked glancing down at the wine list.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea. We still have to drive back to Greenwich not to mention pick up Aurora." She replied quickly dismissing his idea.

"Fine, do you know what you want to order yet?" Levesque asked beginning to massage his forehead with his hand. He then used the other hand to wave the waiter over to the table.

"I think I either want to have the stuffed mushrooms or the house smoked salmon for my appetizer. I can't decide on which one I want. They both sound so good." Stephanie told the waiter.

"Steph, just pick one. It's an appetizer." Paul told his wife while shaking his head. He was hungry himself and wanted to hurry up and get the order put in.

"You know what? I think I'm just going to have house salad as my appetizer. Oh the New York sirloin is good. But the surf and turf sounds great too. Hmm. The shrimp scampi sounds delicious as well. Hmm, okay, I think I want the Surf and Turf. Could I get a side dish of the hash brown potatoes please?" Stephanie asked the waiter with a smile after figuring out what she wanted to order.

"Your entrée actually comes with a side of potatoes, ma'm. What is your choice of beverage?" The senior waiter asked with a polite smile.

"I'll have just a glass of ice water. Actually, can I change my side dish to the fresh asparagus?"

"Certainly, ma'm."

"Why don't you go ahead and give her the dessert menu that way she won't take five minutes when it comes time to order." Levesque told the waiter as he took the menu out of his wife's hands to give it back to the server.

"Paul, who says I want dessert? Besides, I did not take five minutes." Steph said back somewhat embarrassed by her husband's rude comment.

"What can I get you, sir?"

"I'll have a diet coke, the stuffed mushroom caps and the New York sirloin cooked medium. I don't want any sides." Levesque said rattling his order off with easy. He felt like he had memorized it while waiting for Stephanie to get the restaurant and sit down.

"You know, I thought you invited me to dinner so we could have a nice time together not for you to belittle me in front of strangers." Steph said to Paul once the waiter left the table.

"Oh come on, it was a joke. Ease up, would you? Wasn't it my sense of humor that first drew you to me?" Paul asked with a smile while he placed the dinner napkin in his lap.

"Yes, but you would make jokes that we both could laugh at. You didn't make fun of me."

"I made fun of you before but you used to be able to laugh at yourself. All of a sudden you're so serious and hyper sensitive." Paul answered back holding his hands up in the air to give extra effect to the words he was saying.

"Well Paul after everything I've been through this year, I think I have a right to be extremely sensitive, don't you?" Steph asked raising an eyebrow as she looked directly into her husband's eyes.

"Fair enough, okay? Can we please stop bickering?" Levesque asked quietly looking down at his water glass. He was being sincere in pleading with his wife to stop their fighting.

It was becoming clear to him just how easy it was for them to slip into an argument. How did it get like this? Paul could remember a time when they wanted nothing more than to be in each other's company. He needed to take a step back and not press the sensitivity issue with her. If he tried his hardest to be pleasant, then Stephanie would surely follow suit.

When the food arrived, the Levesques didn't do much talking at all. A few comments about how exquisite the food tasted was the only interaction between them. To Paul's amazement, they actually seemed to be getting along well now and were both enjoying the dinner. Each time Levesque looked up from his plate, he was met with Steph's smile. Maybe he was finally getting the idea of it all. Perhaps all Stephanie needed was a quiet dinner with her husband. Maybe she enjoyed the silent communication. From her pleasant demeanor, Paul was sure of it.

"Dinner was great, thanks for inviting me." Stephanie said with a smile as she walked with Paul out of Bennett's and toward where their automobiles were parked.

"Thanks for taking me up on my offer. We should go out to dinner more often." He replied returning the kind smile.

They both stopped by Paul's Hummer which happened to be parked next to Steph's BMW. Placing his hands on both sides of his wife's coat Paul slowly moved in to close the space between them. Steph's eyes widened as she watched her husband's lips draw closer to her. Their lips touched only for a moment before Steph moved away.

"We should be getting home. I have to go pick up Aurora and-"

"What would you say if I suggested that we let Aurora stay with your parents for the night? You look so beautiful tonight. Before last Thursday night, I almost forgot about how great we were together in bed. If we can still have that strong of a connection while making love, I just know that there really is hope for us. So what do you say?" Paul asked shrugging his shoulders. His fingers were rubbing the leather of her jacket while he waited his wife's response.

"I think I should go pick Aurora up from Mom and Dad's. She needs to be with us, especially since she's going through a weird attachment with me. The only way to have it go away is for you to spend more time with her. We should be focused on her. Besides, I'm really tired. I'll see you back at the house." Stephanie replied before pressing her lips together while she removed her husband's hands from her jacket. She held his hand in hers for a brief second before letting go. Paul remained by his Hummer as he watched the BMW pull out of the parking space and drive away.

Levesque looked crestfallen by his wife's rejection to his romantic invitation for the night. Every time he felt like he was getting somewhere with her, it was like he was back at square one. Other than a little bickering while ordering, the dinner went very well. He had been sweet and polite to her. They could have had the whole night to themselves. Why did she not see the importance of them spending time together as a couple? Maybe she was telling the truth. Perhaps Stephanie really was tired. All that work at the office had to be a daunting task to tackle on a Sunday. If he had any hope of Steph wanting to be intimate with him again, he was going to have to be understanding. After all, it was the misunderstanding of one another that most likely caused problems between them in the first place. They were now traveling together again. Surely the time together would help Steph get back on track in her role as Mrs. Levesque.


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Thirty-Five

"Do you want me to help you with anything, honey?" Paul asked Stephanie as he walked along side of her as they walked from the limo toward the side entrance to the US Bank arena in Cincinnati Ohio.

Because the Levesques decided to wait until Monday morning to journey to the arena for RAW, they were forced to take the private jet in order to get there at a decent time. Steph called that very morning to make it arranged so that their luxury bus would be brought to the US Bank arena in time for them to depart on it that night.

"Well you could carry your daughter and her diaper bag." Stephanie said being quick to offer the suggestion as she was carrying not only their child but also her work satchel, the diaper bag, and her own handbag. Her husband was only shouldering his black duffle bag that contained his wrestling gear for the SmackDown tapings tomorrow.

Aurora was somewhat upset with her mother's decision to hand her over to her father. She let everyone know this by flailing around as she fussed. The one year old had grown quiet accustomed to being carried on her mommy's hip everywhere. She knew how to walk; or toddle as it could be described, but she was more than happy to have Steph carrying her around. While Aurora liked being in her father's company for the most part, if her mother was anywhere near her, she would much rather be with her. Steph took note of this quickly and was trying to give her husband every opportunity she could to help break the attachment.

"I'll meet up with you later. I'm going to go speak with Dad and then we'll have the meeting with the creative team." She informed her husband as she quickly transferred hers and Aurora's luggage onto him after giving him the fussy baby.

With the load lightened, Stephanie quickened her pace leaving behind Paul who continued his same stride. He noticed that Steph was able to disappear within the building without a backwards glance all before he reached the side entrance.

Despite not being on the active roster, Paul was glad to be coming back to RAW with his wife. Even if he couldn't wrestle on the top show in the company, at least he would be able to make a weekly appearance backstage to show that he was still very much involved in the company as the son-in-law of Vince McMahon. While carrying his daughter and the luggage, he walked toward the WWE's designated backstage area where the locker room was located. He wanted to hang out with his friend Shawn while his wife took care of business.

"Hey, look who it is, Chris." Randy Orton said to Chris Irvine when he saw him walking past them in the hallway. On Orton's shoulder the World Wrestling Entertainment championship belt hung; the very championship that he won from Triple H only weeks ago.

"Hey Levesque, what do you think? How does my WWE championship gold look on me?" Randy asked with a smug smile as he strutted over to where Paul had stopped in the hallway. Paul's face remained unchanged as he let Orton's cockiness roll right off his back.

"No but seriously Paul, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. If it wasn't for you screwing up your personal life, I probably would have never gotten a win over you for the championship." Orton explained with a put on voice of gratitude. He knew full well that his words were getting under Levesque's skin and he loved it.

"Oh hey, I guess this means I may actually get a real title win. You know, one that isn't an Intercontinental midcard title win or a WWE title win where I have to play as Stephanie's bitch until I job to you." Irvine added throwing his own insult into the mix. He was looking directly into Paul's eyes as he spoke about all the times he had been given the shitty end of the stick during his WWE career.

It was a known fact backstage that Chris Jericho's undisputed title reign was overshadowed by the then husband and wife feud of Triple H and Stephanie. If Chris knew that he would be casted as the role of Stephanie's puppet going into WrestleMania, he would have told Vince to keep the original plans of making Kurt Angle the first undisputed champion.

"But speaking of being Stephanie's bitch, it looks like you have that roll now, jerky!" Irvine said letting his trademark Y2J Chris Jericho charisma shine through while he pointed at Stephanie's luggage which Paul was lugging around backstage.

Levesque shook with built up fury as both Randy Orton and Chris Irvine laughed in his face at his current situation. Never before did he have fellow wrestlers making jabs at him blatantly to his face. Sure, there was always that one exception where a young up and comer forgot his place and mouthed off to him but it was never anything like this. It was obvious that his coworkers had taken notice of his dissention in the McMahon family. They knew he had been drafted to SmackDown because he was out of favor with Vince. Irvine and Orton had heard the rumors about his involvement with the former WWE photographer that were going around the locker room like wildfire. Perhaps because he was no longer being seen as the untouchable son-in-law of Vince McMahon, he was now fair game for all the stinging shots that had been stifled all through the years that Paul had been involved with Stephanie.

"Hey Chris, did you hear that Vince is trying to bring Kurt Angle back to WWE? It will be an honor to step in the ring with that guy again. He called me the future of WWE. Did you know that?" Randy gloated giving his championship belt a rub while telling Jericho.

Levesque couldn't take standing in that hallway a moment longer. As if having both Irvine and Orton making fun of him wasn't enough to get him worked up, the mention of a rumored Kurt Angle WWE return made his blood boil. The rumors couldn't be true. It was well known throughout WWE that Kurt Angle and Vince McMahon were not on speaking terms. Why would Vince want to bring Angle back into the company after he deserted them for TNA Wrestling?

What about Thanksgiving Day? Paul was quick to remember how happy Vince was answering his front door when he thought that it was the Olympic Gold medalist on the other side instead of him. He had to be missing something. When did Angle fall back into Vince's good graces? Did Stephanie have something to do with this? No, there was no sense in even thinking about it. Kurt Angle coming back to WWE was all internet propaganda. The guy was happy where he was in TNA Wrestling and he was going to stay there.

"Hey long time no see buddy." Shawn greeted his pal when he saw him enter the locker room.

Levesque muttered his greetings under his breath as he carelessly let the luggage fall to the floor before he slumped in the nearby chair. Once he was seated, he set his daughter on her feet so that she could be free to move about.

"Hey Aurora, are you spending time with your daddy?" Michaels asked looking down at the one year old who looked up at him with a smile when she heard her name spoken.

"Not voluntarily. I don't know what's going on with her. She prefers Stephanie over me lately. I think it has to do with Steph snatching her away to Pittsburgh to be with that asshole Angle. It's like my baby girl forgot all about her daddy. Maybe she's passing judgment on me." Paul muttered staring down at his little child standing right into front of him.

He remembered the great relationship he had with her before all of his marital problems with Stephanie. It wasn't that long ago that little Aurora was more than happy to spend time with him. She used to love him unconditionally when everyone else turned their hearts to stone against him for his mistakes. Now at the tender age of 16 months old, she was starting to take sides with her parents against her father. At least that's how Levesque viewed it.

"She's only a year old, Paul. Aurora is just going through a stage. My little Cheyenne prefers her mommy a lot. I don't take it personally though. I mean think about it, Stephanie carried Aurora for nine months inside of her. To Aurora, her mother is her source of comfort. Don't take it personally. Just keep spending time with her and she'll come around again." Shawn assured his friend.

"I wish that was all that was bothering me. All of a sudden I'm getting absolutely no respect around here. That little shit Orton delighted in telling me about the rumor that Vince wants to bring Kurt Angle back to WWE. As if I need more problems with Stephanie. We're just starting to rebuild our relationship. I actually had to get down on my knees and beg her to come back to me. You know, bringing Angle back is Vince's way of trying to destroy my marriage." Paul said with a great deal of force behind his words. He was on the verge of hollering as he spoke; his aggravation evident.

"Forget about Kurt Angle. You need to concentrate on continuing your progress with Stephanie. If you and Steph continue to be honest and true to each other then the two of you will make it through it all and be a stronger couple. Remember, this is your second chance that you and Stephanie decided to take. You have to let go of all those old suspicious and worries about your wife and Angle. It was that unjustified jealousy that almost cost you your family." Michaels told his friend in a very serious tone of voice.

"I'm trying my best to make the best of this fresh start…" Paul muttered in a reply as he sat up straight in his chair.

"You should go and spend the rest of the night with your wife. Show her that you want to spend time with her and the baby. Actions speak louder than anything you could say to her. Go on, go be with your wife." Shawn directed using his thumb to point to the exit door in the locker room.

Levesque took his best friend's advice and left the locker room with his daughter in his arms and his wife's purse hanging from his shoulder. As he began to travel down the hallway to where he expected Stephanie to be, his father-in-law came from right around a corner and approached him.

"How's gram's little grandbaby today?" Vince asked using a finger to tickle Aurora's little cheek causing her to giggle before he turned his attention to Paul.

"Where's Stephanie? She's here at the arena, right?" McMahon asked narrowing his eyes. He cocked his head to the side and looked for a brief moment behind Paul and down the hall.

"Yeah she's here. She said she was going to speak with you before the meeting." Levesque replied with a look of confusion.

"Well I have yet to see her today. When you see her, tell her that I need to speak with her." Vince told his son-in-law while his face remained unchanged. He didn't seem warm at all to Paul and kept his business like tone of voice the entire time he was speaking to him. The only time he even cracked a smile was when he was talking to his granddaughter.

When Vince walked away from him, Paul continued down the hall. After going down a few more hallways, he stopped at an empty conference room. Well it was mostly empty except for Stephanie who was standing far into the room next to the wall. She was talking on her PDA. She must have heard Paul's footsteps because she turned and watched him walk into the room.

"Okay, thank you. Okay I will. Goodbye." Steph said into her cell before ending the call. She gave Paul a quickly smile before bringing her hand that was holding her blackberry to her side.

"Hey sweetie, are you having fun spending time with Daddy?" Stephanie asked her child causing Aurora to smile wide. The one year old began to reach out for her mother.

"I thought you were going to talk with your dad. I saw him in the hall and he was looking for you."

"I had to make a call before talking to Dad. Is that okay with you?" Steph asked with a certain amount of attitude. She didn't like her husband questioning her actions.

"Yeah I was just asking." Paul replied in a mutter Aurora was still leaning out toward her mom wanting her to take her from her father. "Do you want to take her?"

"No, I have a meeting in a few minutes. Why are you always trying to give to her me? Just take care of her while I work. Is that too much to ask?" Steph replied obviously annoyed with her husband asking if she wanted to hold their child. He wondered why Aurora was starting to become not used to him when he didn't want to spend the time he needed to with her.

"I didn't mean for it to seem like I didn't want to be with her. She just wanted you so I asked if you wanted to take her. I'm going to go take her out in the hallway and we'll wait for you." He replied in a low voice as he looked away from his wife and toward the door to the room.

Stephanie nodded in agreement and slipped her blackberry into her purse that was still on her husband's shoulder. Levesque did as he promised his wife and he sat with his child in the hallway on top of one of the black equipment boxes. Vince followed by the entire creative team came down the hall and filed into the room before closing the conference room door.

Paul shook his head before leaning it against the wall. There he was cast off into the hallway like he was nobody to the McMahon family. He felt like he was invisible now within the company especially on RAW, their number one show. In the meeting that was taking place right now, Vince was probably bringing up Kurt Angle to Stephanie at any chance he could. He was probably encouraging his daughter to reconsider her relationship with Angle. It was probably out with the old and in with the new to McMahon. Paul knew he was out of Vince's circle now and would probably never be in it again. That's just how it was and there was nothing he could do about it.

Aurora began to play with the buckle of her mother's purse that sat next to them where Paul had laid it on the equipment box. The small child was looking for any stimulus she could find. The purse provided a form of amusement to her as she made the bag open and close. Levesque's eyes focused on the purse. He thought about the phone call Stephanie was making when he had entered the conference room. Who had she been talking to? She never told him. Paul couldn't help but connect the dots. With all the backstage buzz on the possibility of Kurt Angle returning, he wondered if Steph was talking with Kurt on the phone. It would make sense as to why she was so quick to end the conversation when she saw him coming into the room.

Levesque felt the urge to go into his wife's purse and get her phone. He was curious to see if his suspicions were correct. It was the advice that Shawn had given him that made him think twice about it. Shawn had preached to him about not letting his worries about Kurt Angle get in the way of his and Stephanie's relationship again. Maybe Michaels was right. Maybe he should just trust Steph. But then again, he was her husband and had every right to be looking at her things. It wasn't like she never looked at his cell phone call history or contact list. Why was it any different if he did it to her?

Paul was finished thinking it over. He opened the purse and quickly removed the PDA. With his thumbs he quick navigated menus until he was scrolling through his wife's contact list. There was the name. The four letter name that he was afraid he would see. Kurt. The name was the only personal contact listed under the letter K. Because his number was still programmed into her phone, he wondered if it was Angle she had been talking to. With a look of distain, Paul has placed his thumb on a button assigned to delete the contact. And he did it. He blew Kurt Angle's number out of his wife's PDA. If only removing him from Steph's life was that easy. Now it was time to check her most recent call.

"What are you doing with my phone? I need it." Stephanie said when she walked out of the now open conference room.

"I was just looking at your schedule." Paul replied as he pressed the end button to cancel out of her contact list so that it returned to her wallpaper screen of Aurora.

Stephanie looked at him suspiciously before she quickly took her blackberry from his hand, gave her daughter a quick kiss on the cheek, and walked back into the meeting. Levesque didn't get the chance to confirm is suspicion of Kurt Angle being the person she had been talking to. Kurt being listed on her personal contact list was enough for him to confirm it. He still wasn't going to let on to Stephanie that he knew about the phone conversation. Judging by her past behavior when she was brought to task about her relationship with Angle, it wouldn't be the best thing to do if he wanted to bend their relationship. There was no way Paul was going to forget about this though. Even if he wasn't going to address it with his wife, he was going to keep it in the back of his mind.

The rest of the day at the RAW arena was uneventful for Paul. He did a lot of sitting around with Aurora while his wife ran the show with her father and made sure that everything came off the way it needed to. Their luxury bus arrived at the arena on time so that the Levesques could board it and travel to the Rupp arena in Lexington Kentucky.

Paul rolled his eyes when he laid them upon the whiteboard backstage. It was customary that all the matches to take place on the show were to be posted on a white board for all the wrestlers to see. Triple H was listed in the match two slot going up against Montel Vontavious Porter. MVP was circled indicating that he would be going over in the match.

"Wooo! That's what I'm talking about! US Champion MVP going over The Game! That's why they call me the Franchise Player!" MVP boasted as he stood next to Paul. He was ecstatic to find out that Triple H was jobbing to him.

Levesque simply stared over at MVP with a eat shit and die look on his face while the guy carried on with glee. Paul would have liked to choke him out with his gold chain necklace around his neck. Porter probably thought that he had done something grand to deserve a win over The Game Triple H. The rookie had no idea that the job was Vince's way of further punishing his son-in-law. There wasn't anything Paul could do about it. He couldn't go against McMahon's decision again like he did in the match with Orton almost two months ago. He no longer had any leverage backstage after all the shit he pulled in his marriage to the boss' daughter. Even though he and Stephanie were back together, Vince was still making him pay the price.

His past few SmackDown matches were all the same. Paul had to make the guy he was wrestling look great and really sell the opponent's finishing move like it was completely devastation before lying flat out on the canvas for the 1..2..3. This match with MVP was no different. Triple H was allowed very little offense compared to Montel Vontavious Porter. The United States champion hit him with a pretty stiff big boot to his face which had been dubbed the drive-by kick. As Hunter tried to shake off the stiff shot, MVP picked him up off the canvas and grabbed hold of his head making Helmsley bend over so that Porter could place his leg on his neck while holding his left arm. Triple H had to just stay there bent over while Montel raised a number one finger in the air. Then MVP threw himself forward which was Hunter's cue to twist his body around and fall onto his back. After the Playmaker was hit, Porter got the pin.

"Are you okay?" Stephanie asked as she followed Paul closely behind with a sleeping Aurora in tow. He was walking directly from the curtain to his luxury bus without one stop in between.

"Did you see that stiff kick to the face? He's lucky I didn't kick his ass!" Levesque hissed as they entered the bus.

"Well the match looked good. I think Dad was pleased with how it turned out. If you keep putting on great performances like that, you'll prove to him that you do belong at the top of the roster. That's all he wants you know, for you to prove yourself." Steph explained. Paul said nothing in reply to her comment about Vince's intensions. He thought McMahon's excuse was completely bullshit. With where Triple H was in his career, he shouldn't have to prove himself.

"She's out like a light. Do you want to lay her down in the crib?" Stephanie asked turning so that the sleeping baby was closer to her daddy. This was another perfect opportunity for Paul to do more of the parental roles that Steph usually did.

"Sure…" He muttered before gently taking his daughter from his wife while they stood right at the entrance to the half sized nursery.

Slowly and carefully, Paul lowered Aurora into the crib. When her body touched the crib mattress, Aurora stirred a bit in her sleep. She looked so beautiful that father couldn't help but crack a smile. No matter how terrible he felt about his current position in the company, seeing his little girl sleeping peacefully warmed his heart. Right before Levesque was going to leave the side of the crib, his eyes caught sight of an all so familiar teddy bear sitting against the bumper of the crib. Paul's smile faded as he stared at the pink teddy for a moment. His mind began to backtrack as he thought about the day when Kurt Angle brought that stuff animal into his house for Aurora. But he had thrown it away far out into the back yard. What was it doing in his daughter's crib? Slowly, Paul turned his head and looked at Stephanie who was still standing in the doorway.

"Is there something wrong, Paul?" Stephanie asked with a raised eyebrow.

The look on her face made Levesque wonder if she knew that he had noticed the teddy bear. If Paul didn't know any better, he would have thought that Steph was daring him to say something about it. She was staring right in his eyes with a hand on each hip. She was just waiting for him to make a comment about personalized pink teddy bear from Kurt Angle that was in their child's crib. Was she toying with him? Waiting to see if he would say anything about it? Was this Vince's influence? Paul wasn't going to give her or Vince the satisfaction in knowing it bothered him at all.

"No, nothing's wrong…"


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Thirty-Six

The week of Christmas had come. Paul was relieved to have the weekly traveling to each and every SmackDown and house show come to a standstill for the holidays. He had stopped going to RAW after he had found himself practically invisible backstage. Levesque promised himself that he would never put his self in a situation to be ridiculed again. But all that was in the past. The holidays were approaching and he was doing his best to enjoy spending time at home with Stephanie and Aurora.

"Where are you off to?" Paul asked his wife as he watched her gather her purse, blackberry, and car keys from the kitchen rather quickly.

"I want to try and pick up a gift from Dad. There are so few days left until Christmas so I thought I would take advantage of the sales." She explained walking toward the house entrance to the garage.

"Don't you want to take Aurora with you?" He asked looking over at their one year old sitting in the living room with her toys.

"You know how crowded stores are around the holidays. I just want to get in and out without any big production. Besides, she likes spending time with her daddy." Steph replied before giving her husband a smile and walking out the door to the garage.

Levesque slowly cocked his head to the side as he turned to face his child who was still at play. She was obviously so engrossed in play that she didn't notice her mother's departure. It was a good thing that she didn't. After how attached little Aurora had become to Stephanie, Paul wasn't exactly sold on the idea that his wife kept on offering him of their child enjoying spending time with him.

"What are you playing with, sweetheart?" Levesque asked curious to see what had captured his young child's attention for so long.

Paul leaned down into a crouch next to where his daughter was sitting with a group of toys that her mother had placed around her. In her little hands was the pink teddy bear. Aurora was smiling as a string of random vowels and consonants came out of her wet mouth. She then bounced the stuffed animal a few times on her lap before bringing it in for a hug and a kiss bite on its plush nose.

Why was Stephanie so insistent in giving her that stuffed pink bear to their child? It had to be the fact that Kurt Angle had given it to Aurora. This had to be her way of rubbing it in his face. She knew he wouldn't say anything about it. He still had to grovel to her and the rest of the McMahon family for his infidelity with Michelle North. When was it all going to end? One thing was for sure; his daughter wasn't going to be a part of it if he could help it.

"Give to Daddy." He whispered as he gently tugged on the teddy bear.

Aurora let out a whine which intensified when her father's force behind the pulling increased. Of course her gripe on the stuffed toy was no match for her father's pulling force. When Paul had to bear in his hand he arose from the squat and began to walk away with the toy. Aurora continued to whine as she was now on the verge of tears. Getting to her feet, she followed her daddy over to the nearby bookcase.

"I don't care what Mommy says. I don't want you playing with this." Paul said to his daughter as if she was going to understand what he was telling her. He sat the small stuffed animal on one of the high shelves which was still in Aurora's sight.

The little girl just stood there keeping her eyes on her favorite toy. She had her right arm stretched out as high as she could reach. Her hand she began to open and close as if she was trying to grab the teddy bear.

"Dada dat!" She whined in a strained voice. She was doing her best to tell her father that she wanted him to give her back to teddy bear.

His daughter's reaction to him putting the teddy bear up somewhat angered Paul. What was so great about that stupid teddy bear Kurt Angle gave his daughter? Why was she so insistent about having it? She had dozens upon dozens of toys that were much better than it. It almost felt like Aurora was doing it to upset him.

"Come on sweetie, let's go play with your other toys." Paul replied trying to keep his frustration in check as he took the outreached hand in his and began to lead her away from the bookshelf.

Aurora wasn't at all compliant to move away from the bookshelf. She didn't want to move her feet as her father walked away holding her hand. Stiffening her body as she shrieked and cried, Levesque bent down and tried to get her to comply. Her face was red showing her dismay.

"No!" Aurora hollered with force as she used her left hand to slap out at her father while kicking her foot out. Her hand hit him in the face and he quickly grabbed it so that she couldn't do it again.

"Aurora, no! No hitting Daddy!" Paul said with force as he used his other hand to hit Aurora on her diapered butt. His hand had been cupped causing a good smack sound. She began crying harder. It was probably her father's stern voice along with the sound of the spanking that upset her further rather than the hit on the diaper hurting her.

Levesque had never spanked his child before. He was a bit surprised that he had done it after the fact. It was like he had just acted without even thinking. All it did was cause Aurora to intensify her crying. All this crying over a stuffed animal? He couldn't believe it. She had to be over tired. Normally, Aurora would have never acted this way. She had never hit out at him before.

"Come on, let's put you down for a nap." He muttered barely hearing his own words because of his daughter's loud crying. He picking her up. She was still in the middle of a tantrum. Perhaps it was best to have the baby lay down in her crib for a while. He was beginning to feel overwhelmed and angry at her behavior. A bit of quiet time for both of them would certainly help.

As Paul carried his crying one year old out of the living room, her hands were outstretched to her toy which her father chose to ignore. He wasn't going to give into her by giving her the toy back after she misbehaved. That would be just bad parenting; letting the child know that her misbehavior would be rewarded. Paul was sick and tired of her acting out and just wanted her to take a nap so he could have some peace and quiet.

"Lay down!" He barked after placing his daughter in her crib. She was standing at the rail of her crib crying with her arms extended toward her dad. Aurora refused to lay down so Paul picked her up and laid her down in the crib himself. She had handfuls of his shirt that she didn't want to let go of. He had to pry her hands from his clothing so that he could stand up right again. She continued to screech and cry while kicking her legs out showing her anger.

"Now go to sleep. I'm done with you until you calm down." Levesque muttered as he turned his back on the crying child and exited the nursery, closing the door behind him.

When Paul reached the kitchen he was relieved to have peace and quiet. He could no longer hear his daughter's crying. The silence was short lived for his cell phone began to ring where it was being charged on the nearby counter.

"Hello?" He said quickly into the cell phone after opening it.

"Hey Paul, just wanted to wish you an early Merry Christmas. Rebecca and I are taking the kids to Florida for Christmas to visit her parents. Are you enjoying your week off?" Shawn Michaels asked.

"I was. Aurora just had a major meltdown. She smacked me in the face. I had to put her in her crib and close the door. She and her mother have me on my last nerve. Between all the bullshit I'm having to swallow in an attempt to fix my marriage, and my one year old daughter having tantrums, I'm ready to say screw the both of them." Levesque told his friend.

"You need to keep it together, Paul, especially now around the holidays. God tests us even during the holidays through our families. You have to remember that by keeping your cool and staying positive, you're being a good husband and a good father. Take the higher road, Paul. God will look after your family if you keep the faith." Shawn preached.

"I'm trying, Shawn. There's only so much shit I can take from Steph and her family. And to top it off, I think she's still in contact with Kurt Angle. God forbid I question her about it. I swear though, one more excuse she gives me to question her, I'm calling her on it. I'm sick of always having to make nice." Paul replied as he began to pace around the kitchen with his cell phone pressed to his ear.

"Have you thought about praying to God for some clarity and strength?" Michaels asked after hearing his best friend's feelings toward his spouse.

"Shawn, I'm going to let you go. I have to call my wife and tell her to pick something up while she's out shopping. Have a merry Christmas…Yeah bye." Levesque said evading his friend's question as he quickly ended the conversation.

He was telling the truth about wanting to call Stephanie. He noticed that they were out of protein shakes that he religiously drank and needed to have. He found his wife's cell phone number in his contact list and hit the green send button. The cell phone didn't even ring but went directly to her voice mail signaling that the PDA was shut off. Why would she shut her phone off if she was going Christmas shopping?

"Where the hell were you? I tried calling you but I only got your voice mail." Paul told his wife as soon as she walked into the living room to where he was sitting. He didn't even give her a chance to greet him.

"I told you, I went shopping for a gift for my father. I'm sorry you couldn't get a hold of me. My PDA battery died and I just started charging it." Steph explained with a look of confusion. She was not expecting her husband to greet her with questioning.

"Well where's the gift?"

"I wasn't able to get it. They were all sold out." Steph quickly replied setting her purse down on one of the sofas.

"If it was sold out then why did it take you so long to come home?" Levesque asked throwing out another question at his wife as his eyes remained fixed on her.

"I went to more than one store. What is this, an inquisition? Where's Aurora?" Stephanie asked a bit pissed off by her husband's series of questioning. It was like he wanted to argue with her over everything today. Stephanie's eyes avoided his gaze as she scanned the room looking for her child.

"I put her down for a nap after she had a meltdown." Paul told his wife watching her cross the room to the bookshelf.

"Why is this little teddy bear up here?" Stephanie asked picking the teddy bear up off the shelf.

"She slapped my face when she threw a fit. I couldn't believe it." Paul told his wife as he ignored her question about the stuff animal.

"Did you do something that deserved it?" Stephanie asked raising an eyebrow before she gave a little chuckle before walking away with the pink teddy bear.

Paul was a bit surprised by his wife's reaction to hearing that their child had hit him. She didn't even seem taken aback by it. Was she being serious with her reply or was the chuckle her way of showing that the comment was meant to be a joke? Could it be a bit of both? Stephanie taking the teddy bear from the shelf made it clear that she was going to give it back to Aurora. She had to know that he had taken it from their child because he didn't want her to have it Steph must not have cared how he felt about it. There was no other explanation.

Christmas day came and the Levesques went the annual McMahon family Christmas get together and Vince and Linda's estate. Because of the holidays and to make his daughter happy, Vince was tolerant of his son-in-laws presence. The McMahon mansion was decked out of the holidays complete with a grand Christmas tree that was beautifully trimmed and had gifts a plenty under it. Stephanie had herself and Aurora dressed to the nines in matching Christmas dresses that Linda and Marissa both made a point in gushing over.

"Steph, are you feeling okay? You looked a little flush." Linda asked her daughter noticing the redness of Stephanie's forehead and cheeks as she stood with her and Marissa in the kitchen.

"I'm fine, Mom. I think it was just the cold that did it. You should have seen Aurora's face this morning when I brought her into the family room and she saw all of her presents under the tree. She's so into Christmas this year compared to her first. I just can't wait till next year for her third when she's even a year older." Stephanie said with a smile as she shifted her daughter to her other hip.

"Did Paul video tape it? Shane video tapes the boys every year on Christmas morning. They're growing so fast." Marissa said with a smile as she watched Aurora nuzzling close to her mom.

"Yeah he did. I kept getting lectured about getting in the way of the shot though. Is it hot in here?" Steph asked changing topics as she fanned her face with her hand.

"Maybe a little bit because of the cooking. Why don't you go sit with your dad and Shane in the living room?" Linda suggested seeing that Steph was a bit uncomfortable standing in the kitchen.

She took her mother's advice and took a seat next to her husband on the couch across from where her father was sitting with Shane. To her surprise, Vince was watching a taping of last week's episode of Impact; more specifically, Kurt Angle's main event match with fellow veteran Christian Cage. Steph's eyes widened as she saw Kurt on the plasma screen slowly she looked over at Paul who was looking down at the carpet floor with a pissed off look on his face.

"Holy shit! Did you see that missile drop kick? I didn't think he did that anymore!" Vince exclaimed looking over at his son who was sitting next to him.

"Dad we need to get him back. His ring work is still stellar. I still want to do another match with him. Our street fight in 2001 was the best match of my career."

"It's not 2001 anymore, Shane. You don't bump as well as you used to. Isn't there anything else on? Can't we watch something Christmas related?" Levesque muttered still refusing to watch the ongoing match.

Stephanie's eyes focused on Kurt as the referee raised his arm in victory. He looked like he was in a trance after he pulled his arm away from the referee. The ref looked intimidated by him and took a few steps back to give Angle room. Then suddenly without warning, Kurt gave the referee a huge head butt that caused the bloody ref to fall to the canvas.

"Did you see that? Angle is a freaking beast!" Shane hollered doing a quick point at the TV screen.

"He's a man possessed! Look at that intensity! He wasn't even like this in ECW!"

Steph's eyes widened even more as her mouth fell open. She watched as Kurt removed one of the referee's shoes and proceeded to beat the ref's skull over and over again with it until a few trainers and other referees were able to detain him. She had never seen him like this. He was raging. It was like he had taken all his sadness and channeled it into pure rage that he was now taking out on his opponents and staff members. She couldn't help but feel responsible. Stephanie knew that it was her leaving him to return to Paul that caused the pain she could still see in his blue eyes.

Steph didn't even notice that Aurora had gotten off her lap and was now walking toward the plasma TV. She had a smile on her face as she walked up to the plasma screen and placed her moist hands on the face of Kurt as the TNA camera man zoomed in on his face as he stood on the TNA ramp.

"Would you look at that, Aurora remembers the Olympic Champ." Vince pointed out watching his granddaughter begin to babble as she moved her hands up and down the screen. He didn't seem to mind her touching the screen with her hands.

"Aurora, no, you'll ruin the television." Paul muttered quickly as he quickly approached his child and picked her up causing her to fuss. Once his daughter was in his arms he carried her across the living room and set her down next to where her two cousins were playing.

"Shouldn't we start opening the gifts?" Paul asked as he watched Vince begin to rewind the footage as if he was going to watch the match again; Paul now standing at the eggnog punch bowl now serving himself a second cup of the spiked holiday drink.

"Well Steph already gave me my gift early at last week's RAW." Vince replied not taking his eyes off his universal remote as he pressed a few buttons while his reading glasses sat on the tip of his nose.

"Last week? I thought you went out to try and find your dad a present earlier this week, Stephanie!" Paul hollered across the room at his unsuspecting wife. His outburst that seemed to come out of nowhere caused both Shane and Vince turn and look at him. Marissa and Linda even came out of the kitchen to see what was going on.

"Paul this is not the time for us to discuss this. We can talk about it when we go home-" Steph replied in somewhat of a hushed voice. She looked very embarrassed by her husband's outburst.

"No, we'll talk about it right now! Where were you earlier this week when you said you were going to the store to buy your father a present? You were with Kurt Angle, weren't you? Go ahead, deny it! I saw his number on your personal contact list weeks ago and I deleted it! You never said anything because you knew if you did, I would know that you were screwing him! You are! Aren't you! Don't fucking lie to me!" Paul screamed cutting his wife off. His nephews Declan and Kenyon looked very uneasy as they quickly got up and ran to their mother.

"No! I haven't seen Kurt since I left him to come back to you!"

"Bullshit! Then where were you? Huh? What possible explanation could you have? Huh?"

"I was at the OBGYN's…I'm pregnant… I'm a month along and I haven't told anyone! I didn't want anyone to know! I thought if I kept it a secret maybe this baby would be safe and I wouldn't lose it like the last one, you fucking asshole!" Stephanie screamed as she became hysterical. Linda tried to run to her daughter and comfort her but Steph refused. She quickly ran from the room. A few seconds later the French back door slammed shut.

"Nice job Levesque….you piece of shit…" Vince snarled in disgust as she spoke to his son-in-law before he walked out of the living room.

"You are a piece of shit, Paul…" Shane echoed his father while shaking his head. He followed his father out of the living room.

Both Linda and Marissa were standing there in complete shock because of what had just transpired. Unlike the men, they said nothing to Paul. Linda slowly walked over to where Aurora was sitting and scooped up her grandchild into her arms and walked back into the kitchen while Marissa followed closely behind with her boys.

He was an asshole. Looking back on the past month since he and Steph had gotten back together, all the signs of her being pregnant were there. Her moodiness and increased appetite were easy to see. Paul was just so occupied with worrying about Kurt Angle coming back to WWE that he didn't see the truth. It made sense for Steph not to tell him about the pregnancy. She had miscarried only a few months ago so naturally she had wanted to keep this new pregnancy under wraps until the first three critical months were past her. Unfortunately he had ruined that for her by forcing her to reveal the pregnancy to him and the rest of the family; on Christmas, of all the days possible. Once again, he had let his paranoid thoughts hurt his marriage and his standing with his family. He had impregnated his wife the very first night she returned to him and was completely blind not to see it.

Paul was full of guilt as she stood at the French doors watching his father-in-law hugging Stephanie and whispering words into her ear. Paul knew what he had to do. He was going to have to apologize to her. He had to let her know that he loved her and was happy about the news.

"Vince, I want to talk to my wife alone please." Levesque said in a coarse yet confident voice as he stepped out onto the back deck.

"It's okay, Daddy. You can go inside." Steph whispered in a raspy voice as she then breathed in her congestion. She was assuring her father that she would be okay to talk to her husband alone without him there.

McMahon gave his daughter another hug as he then gave his son-in-law a cold stare before he slowly went back into his house leaving his daughter alone with her husband. Once he was alone outside with his wife, Paul ventured across the deck to where his wife was standing with her back to him. Her whole body was shaking as she wept in the bitter winter cold.

"Steph, I'm so sorry…" Paul began as he approached her. He placed his hand on her back.

"I should have been able to tell that you were pregnant. I'm so grateful that we're having another baby, Steph. I remember what you told me about out the last pregnancy…That the new baby was going to be a fresh start for us…I know I ruined that. I ruined everything. I want to make it right this time, sweetheart. This new baby is going to give me the chance to do that. Please tell me that we can get through this and make a new start with a second child." Paul whispered as she slowly turned his wife around to face him.

When he turned her around, she began to cry harder looking directly into his hazel eyes. She wasn't going to reply to his words. It was obvious that she was far too distraught to even comment. He brought her into his arms and she began to sob into his broad chest. Paul didn't need her words to assure his feelings for her. He knew in his heart of hearts that he was doing the right thing. Everything happened for a reason. Just like Shawn had told him, God was looking after his family by blessing them with another miracle that was going to be a new staple of their family. Paul was going to do it right this time. This new baby was a gift from above and he was determined to not destroy this precious gift like he regretfully did the last.


	37. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Thirty-Seven

_Four months later…_

"Steph, you're going to have to cut your thorough cleaning spree of our master bathroom short. We only have thirty minutes to get to the OBGYN appointment and we still have to drop Aurora off at your parents' house." Paul told his wife after walking into the bathroom where Steph was wiping down the bathroom counter space.

Ever since Levesque had found out about his wife's pregnancy at Christmas, he had made it a point to be a helpful and caring husband. Despite the fact that he was still on the outs with the rest of the McMahon family, he was doing his best to be there for his wife and enjoy the happy time of impending fatherhood for the second time. During the past month or so of her pregnancy, Stephanie had taken to doing routine household chores that would normally be done by their housekeeper. While he found it unnecessary, Paul wasn't about to object to his wife doing work around the house if it made her feel better.

"Is Aurora all ready to go? I'm just about finished in here if you want to get her in the Hummer." Steph replied with a smile. The hand that she wasn't using to clean was holding her extended abdomen.

"All right, honey. Hey babe, you don't have to mess with any of my stuff. It's all neat and organized the way I have it." Levesque said pointing to his shaving kit and hairbrush on the side of his bathroom sink. He had his own order to things and liked it that way.

"I'm not going move anything from its place. I'll be right in the car behind you and Aurora."

Aurora was already dressed and ready to make the trip to Granny and Pop's. Paul had opted to keep the dressing of his twenty-one month old as simple as possible so he had chose to put her in a pink sweat suit. While in the month of April, it was a bit of a chilly morning.

"Aurora, are you sure that you want to bring teddy to Granny and Pop's house?" Levesque asked his small child while walking toward the front door with her holding her hand.

Little Aurora had been holding the pink teddy bear by one of its plush arms but quickly brought it in for a hug when her father mentioned it. Perhaps it was her way of telling her father that she really did want to bring her favorite toy with her. He smiled and shook his head. Paul had finally accepted his daughter's attachment to the stuffed animal. Kids would be kids and there was no sense of him thinking anymore about it. The fact that he was going to be welcoming another child into the family in only four months drove away any of the old insecure feelings he used to have.

Once they were outside, Paul picked his daughter up and walked to the car to save time.

"It's a little sunny out today, why don't you wear these. They go with your outfit." Paul told his little girl and he pulled her small pink sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on her with his free hand.

"Is she all buckled into her car seat?" Stephanie asked meeting her husband in the driveway by his red Hummer. She had her purse hanging from her shoulder while both her hands were instinctively on her baby belly. Touching her ever growing tummy was something she did all the time even without realizing it.

"Yeah she's all set. Is the baby being active today?" Levesque asked with a smile as he approached his wife. Gently he placed his hand on her tummy to try and feel any movement from within. He liked touching her stomach just as much as she did.

"Oh yeah, I can't wait to see the little one on the ultrasound screen." Steph replied as she carefully climbed into the passenger seat of the Hummer. This five month check up with her OBGYN was significant because of the fact that an amniocentesis was being done to verify the unborn baby's health. Despite Stephanie's young age, her doctor had explained to her the need to make sure there were no complications with the forming baby because of Steph's past pregnancy with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Steph was lucky enough to not experience any of the symptoms of the illness with this pregnancy still, her doctor just wanted to be cautious.

Paul decided to wait in the Hummer while Stephanie dropped their child off with her parents. With Steph having such an important obstetrics appointment that morning, it would be best for everyone if he stirred clear of her parents. The last thing that his wife needed was stress because of the obvious tension between her husband and father.

Even though Vince thought very little of Paul these days, he still seemed to be thrilled with his daughter's pregnancy just like his wife. Levesque could be thankful for that at least. It gave him hope that one day he would work himself back into his in-laws good graces. Maybe with his and Stephanie's baby's birth in August, the event would bring the family back together.

"How were your parents doing today?" Paul asked his wife when she got back into the front passenger seat of the Hummer.

"They're fine, happy to see Aurora. Sorry I took so long, Mom wouldn't let me leave without letting her feel the baby kick. She's so excited about the pregnancy."

"Too bad she's not as high on your unborn baby's father." Levesque muttered taking the Hummer out of park. Steph raised her eyebrows and shrugged before turning to look out her window while the Hummer began to back up.

There wasn't much conversation while driving to Stephanie's OBGYN appointment. It had worked out that SmackDown was being taped right in Connecticut so Paul wouldn't have far to travel later that day. He enjoyed attending all of Steph's checkups. Those doctor visits were one of the only times Paul really felt like he and Steph were a couple again.

"Okay, here we go, there's your baby." The doctor said with a smile as she used her free hand to point at the ultrasound screen. The obstetrician was holding the transducer steady to Stephanie's slippery abdomen to give a nice clear picture of the unborn baby.

"Aw my tiny baby, look at it moving its little hands." Steph commented as she watched the screen with a smile.

"Would you and your husband like me to record the ultrasound on a DVD for you?" The doctor asked.

"Yes please." Paul replied not taking his eyes off of the ultrasound monitor. This brought him back to when Steph had been pregnant with Aurora. It seemed like just yesterday they had her and now their little girl was going to be two in July.

Once the ultrasound footage was recorded, the doctor began prepping to do the amniocentesis. While she was setting up, the OBGYN explained to Stephanie and Paul again why it was necessary to go ahead with the procedure do to Stephanie's past pregnancy. Eliminating the unknown would be best for the unborn child's health.

"The baby's healthy though, right? All ten fingers and ten toes?" Paul asked with a slight chuckle which showed his uneasiness.

"Everything looks fine, but the amniocentesis is needed. We just want to make sure that there isn't anything wrong with your child that we can't tell via ultrasound. Now, would you like to know the sex?"

"Yes, we would." Paul quickly replied with a smile as he looked down at his wife. Steph shrugged with a smile and agreed with her husband. It was clear that he really wanted to know if the unborn baby was a boy or a girl.

"Well I can't be positive until the results from the amniocentesis come back but I think you're looking at your baby boy." The doctor said with a smile as she manipulated the transducer so that she could pinpoint exactly where the amniotic sac was located in relationship to Stephanie's abdomen.

"A baby boy…I have son." Paul whispered with a proud smile plastered across his face. He felt a rush of excitement overcome him after hearing that the child his wife was carrying was a son…His son. Finally he had a son to carry on his name and wrestling legacy.

"All right Stephanie, I'm going to need you to stay very still. I'm going to be putting a long needle into your abdomen to collect a sample of the amniotic fluid that's surrounding your baby. So you're going to have to be very still for me even if you feel a little discomfort, okay?" The obstetrician explained while she rubbed an alcohol and iodine solution on Steph's decent sized abdomen.

"Do you want to hold my hand, honey?" Paul offered wanting to support his pregnant wife.

"No I'm okay." Steph replied quickly as she smiled politely at the doctor as she watched the needle come into play.

"Okay, good, stay perfectly still just like you are….Good." The doctor said in a soft soothing voice as the needle punctured Stephanie's abdomen. The OBGYN was using the ultrasound for guidance and the needle went further into Stephanie.

"Oh wow, you need that whole syringe?" Levesque asked watching the syringe fill up with amniotic fluid.

"Yes we do, and you are all done." The doctor said as she slowly and carefully removed the long needle from Stephanie's abdomen. It was clear that the obstetrician had done many of these procedures before because it was completed in mere minutes with very little discomfort which Stephanie appreciated.

"When will we get the results from this?" Steph asked.

"Well normally we would have the results back for you in 7-14 days but because you are one of my preferred patients, Stephanie, I can run it through the lab personally and will have the results for you by tonight."

"That's great, thank you." Stephanie replied with a smile as she placed her hands on the sides of her stomach.

"What I need you to do is have your husband drive you home and then take it easy the rest of the night. I don't want you doing any kind of heavy lifting what so ever, okay?"

"Okay, I understand. Hey Paul, can you go pull the car around to the main entrance while I set up my next appointment and get the ultrasound DVD?" Steph asked looking over at her husband who was still standing by her.

"Sure honey, do you want me to take your purse?" Levesque offered with his arm outstretched.

"No, I'll keep my purse with me. I'll want to get the appointment date in my PDA." Stephanie quickly replied as her eyes shifted to her designer purse that was sitting on a nearby chair.

Paul was quick to leave the doctor's office and walk to where his Hummer was parked in the parking lot. He pulled up to the front entrance of the medical building and waited. As he sat there Levesque couldn't help but remember back to when he had left Stephanie stranded in that very parking lot. Despite all of Stephanie's reasoning, he had refused to accept their unborn baby as his. He had been hell bent on believing his own paranoid theory of the child being Kurt Angle's only to find out that he had been wrong. But it had been too late. Paul didn't believe Steph until after she miscarried. It took the loss of his unborn child for him to accept the truth of being the baby's father. Levesque wasn't going to make that mistake again.

"Okay, I'm all set." Steph told him after she got into the passenger seat and put her purse at her side. It only took her a few minutes to exit the medical building and enter the Hummer.

"Hey Steph, do you want me to stay home tonight? I'm sure Vince would let me miss SmackDown to take care of Aurora while you take it easy." Paul explained as he put the Hummer into drive so that he could pull away from the building's front entrance.

"No it's okay, I already called my mom and she said that she would more than happy to watch Aurora for the night. I'll be fine by myself today. You go ahead to SmackDown. You'll be back later tonight anyway since the show is in Hartford." She replied looking out her window while Paul pulled the Hummer out onto the road.

After taking Stephanie home, Paul was quick to pack his wrestling gear into his black duffle bag like usual. He decided that it would be easiest to just drive his Hummer to Hartford because it was only an hour and a half away from his home in Greenwich. He was thankful that the show was in Connecticut that week so that he could come right home to be with Stephanie when she found out the news about their baby.

"MVP and Matt Hardy over Triple H and Robbie McCallister...." Paul read off the white board which was written in its usual match card format with the winner circled. Of course it was MVP's name that was circled. That left one question, who was going to be jobbing to him? It was probably McCallister. The guy had gotten into hot water by showing up on a TNA Impact show during WrestleMania weekend last month. Obviously, Robbie was the one who was going to do the jobbing for the match.

"Hey McCallister, you're jobbing tonight, right?" Paul asked his scheduled tag team partner who was standing only a few feet away at one of the set up snack tables.

"No you are." He replied walking away from the table and toward Levesque.

"What?"

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. I thought I was number one on the WWE shit list but I guess you are. Who knows how long I'm going to have to pay for going to an Impact show. I already lost my five thousand dollar paycheck for WrestleMania and I was drafted to SmackDown. What did you do?" Robbie asked looking confused at the former main eventer as he tugged at his long beard.

He was likely confused as to why the son-in-law of Vince McMahon was being jobbed out on the opening match of SmackDown. Because of McCallister's midcard status within the company, it was obvious that he wasn't hip to the rumors about Paul that were swirling around the locker room.

Levesque brushed it off. He was preoccupied with thinking about Stephanie's pregnancy and the almost certain news of the new baby being a boy. Nothing that happened to Triple H was going to ruin Paul's night. The important thing was that he had his home life in check. His wrestling career would surely fall back into place after. He had been assuring himself this for months but he still had faith. There had been a few wins here and there over course of the past four months. This kept Paul optimistic about working his way back up to his top spot in the company. It was going to happen eventually.

So Triple H took and sold every wrestling move like he was supposed to before laying down for the pin on the canvas. It was clear to him that his job for the last few months, and the next few, was to make build his opponents up and make them look good. This was something he would have never done voluntarily. He had always been very selective of who he was going to put over. He would put over Batista because he was a very charismatic and had the physique but wasn't the best wrestler. He also put over the late Chris Benoit because he had the wrestling skill but not the charisma. In the past, he had the leverage to do this. Surely with time, he would get that privilege back again. He was after all, Stephanie's husband and the King of Kings.

"Hey Shawn, I just wanted to call and tell you the good news. Stephanie's having a boy. I'm having a son!" Paul exclaimed as he held his cell phone to his ear while driving his hummer down the highway homeward bound.

"That's great, buddy, congratulations."

"It is great. A son will guarantee my main event spot again not to mention firm up my legacy by having a son to carry on my name." Paul replied further expounding on his joy and excitement.

"Awe, don't get all hung up on all that. Having a son is no different than having a daughter. Aurora being born was just as important and wonderful. Each child is a blessing." Michaels reminded his friend.

"Well that might be true, Shawn, but trust me, a son is even more of one. Damn, I'm almost in awe of myself. I mean, think of where I was with Stephanie months ago. I had a blatant affair with a hot leggy blonde photographer and I was still able to convince Stephanie that we could still stay together. I revived my marriage and impregnated Steph with a son. And if that wasn't great enough, the word backstage is that Kurt Angle rejected Vince's offer to come back to WWE." Paul said into his cell phone with a huge smile across his face as he listed off the sequence of events from the past half year.

"Well Paul, God forgives those who are truly sorry for their sins. You have a lot to be thankful for."

"Yeah I do, hey I'm going to go. I'm pulling up to the house. Talk to you later, Shawn, bye."

Levesque wasted no time parking the Hummer so that he could enter his house. A fair amount of lights were on in the home including the front porch light which signaled that Steph was expecting and waiting for him to return. There was Stephanie standing at one of the islands in the kitchen. The look on her face told the story. The doctor had called with the results. Paul could tell that she had weighing news on her mind that she was going to share with him. He couldn't wait.

"Well, did you get the test results?" Paul asked anxiously as he let his duffle bag fall to the kitchen for before he moved farther into the kitchen to be closer to his pregnant wife.

"Yes I did. The doctor was right in her assessment. The test concluded that it's a boy." Stephanie said with a hint of a smile forming on her face.

"Yes, that's terrific, honey! I can't wait! I'm so happy! I love you!" Paul replied back with zeal causing all of his words to run together like it was one big run on sentence. It was when Stephanie's small smile faded and she looked away from his loving gaze that his excitement began to dampen.

The sudden disconnected look on his wife's face concerned Paul. His thoughts suddenly turned to the reason for the testing in the first place. The possibility of his unborn child having some kind of a medical abnormality began to set into his thoughts. What if there was something wrong with his son that hadn't shown up on the ultrasounds? What if his baby boy wasn't the perfect offspring he had always wanted? Would he and Stephanie be able to deal with a special needs child? Could their marriage survive that? All these questions began pop into Paul's head before he asked his wife the question that he so feared the answer to.

"Is there something wrong with him?"


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"No Paul, there's nothing wrong with my baby." Stephanie replied after a moment of silence that felt like an eternity to him.

"Your baby? You mean our baby. That's my first born son." Paul said correcting his wife's wording as he pointed at her womb. Levesque loved hearing himself say that he had a son. He felt like a weight had just been lifted with her telling him that the baby was okay.

"No, he's not you son, Paul, he's Kurt's…" Steph muttered diverting her eyes as she dropped a huge bombshell on her unsuspecting husband. After giving the news, she closed her eyes awaiting Paul's reaction which would most definitely be rage.

"What? No, that's not true. We had sex the first night you came back home. You got pregnant that night. Don't you remember?" He asked trying to reason with his wife. Levesque moved toward Steph. She had to be mistaken because he knew it was his baby.

"I didn't know it but, I was already pregnant when we got back together. Kurt and I slept together…more than once while we were separated." Stephanie replied in a sort of a matter of fact tone of voice with an eyebrow raised ever so slightly.

"You had unprotected sex with him? More than once, Stephanie?"

"Oh please, like you've been the monogamy poster boy!" Steph scoffed.

"Well at least I didn't get Michelle pregnant! I bagged it with her!"

"Like that makes all the times you fucked that slut okay…"

"Forget Michelle, why didn't you tell me about this right when you found out you were pregnant? Huh?" Paul hollered placing his hands on his forehead.

Stephanie took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment before she began to explain her actions. For the first time in months she was going to actually tell Paul the truth about everything. She just didn't know if he was going to be able to handle it.

"I didn't want to say anything until I was one hundred percent sure who the father was. I wanted to have a CVS test in the twelfth week but the doctor said that because of my history with Hyperemesis Gravidarum, she didn't want to take any risks of me miscarrying. So I waited for an amino. I took a few of your hairs from your brush in the bathroom for a DNA sample and the test proved that you aren't the father." Stephanie explained calmly telling her husband the entire truth of the secret she had been keeping from him for five months.

Levesque felt like he was in a nightmare; one that seemed to have no end in sight. As ecstatic about the pregnancy he had been just a few moments ago, he was now disgusted by it. Now when he looked at his wife he only saw her infidelity with Kurt Angle. If he stayed with her, that child would be a constant reminder of it all. What if she didn't keep the baby? It after all didn't belong to her husband so why not give it up for adoption? Would Steph be willing to do that for him?

"Okay, um, it's too late for an abortion. So what about giving the kid up when you have him? I have to be perfectly honest, Steph. I can't see myself raising another guy's kid. Especially when they guy is Kurt Angle. So I want you to think about this long and hard. Think about what you really want. Do you want me, your husband and father of your daughter or Angle's baby? You can't have both. I'm not going to have that kid living in my house." Levesque said trying to keep his anger at bay while he served his wife with an ultimatum.

Stephanie let out a forced laugh. She couldn't believe how quickly his feelings about her unborn baby had changed once he found out that he wasn't his son. Was he serious? He actually expected her to choose him over her own unborn child? How could he even ask her to do that? What mother could? It didn't matter. Steph had already made up her mind and his reaction to it all only made her more steadfast in her position.

"You won't have to worry about my baby living in this house. I was wrong, Paul. I was wrong to come back to you for what I thought was the good of our daughter. I put what I thought was best for Aurora before what was best for me. I'm leaving you…And I'm taking Aurora with me."

"No, you're not leaving. You care too much about what we have together to destroy it."

"What he had together is gone, Paul. All the love I felt for you died when you chose to carry on with Michelle North. I was so in love with you. You got it into your head that I was cheating on you with Kurt-"

"Well you were! I was right! You have no right to bring up Michelle when you were screwing around with Angle behind my back! Look at you, you're walking prove of it!" Levesque yelled pointing his finger toward Stephanie's pregnant belly.

"Kurt and I were nothing but friends! I never had the opportunity to see him any other way until you pulled all your bullshit! He was there for me…and for Aurora too. I betrayed is love! And all this for Aurora when she's not even attached to you anymore! And you did that, Paul! Your behavior caused that!" Stephanie hollered letting everything that she had been keeping to herself for the past five months spill out.

"That's bullshit! She's going to be two in July, she doesn't know shit about what's going on between us! And don't you think you're taking my child away with you to Pittsburgh so you can shack up with the father of your bastard child!" Levesque retorted.

There was no way Paul was going to allow Steph to take their child away from him. She was trying to make it seem that Aurora didn't love him anymore and it was his fault. How could she try and make him think that about their twenty-one month old? She was trying to hurt him.

"Aurora adores Kurt. He's great with her. Besides, it's not like you won't see her. We'll get joint custody." Steph replied in a calmer tone of voice as she was now trying to reason with her upset husband. She really was tired of fighting.

"Angle's not her father, I am! Aurora deserves to have a complete family and I won't let you destroy it!" Paul yelled getting in his wife's face.

"You already destroyed us! I'm tired of trying to hold us together! It won't work anymore! This pregnancy has been all that's been keeping me alive these past five months! I even told my parents about the possibility of the baby being Kurt's! That's the only reason they were happy about the pregnancy! And I feel the same way! I have another child to think about now and it's Kurt and my chance at a new beginning and God damn it Paul, I'm going to take it!" Steph screamed back at him. She hated the fact that he was getting in her face almost like he was trying to intimidate her. It wasn't going to work.

"You fucking bitch!" Paul screamed as he pushed Stephanie back into the refrigerator. Steph winced as she hit her head on the hard metallic surface while her husband's hands were around her neck.

"You think you're going to leave me just like that? I sacrificed a lot to make us work! I had to give up my hot piece of ass and my top spot in the company! I've been swallowing shit from your father and the rest of your family and you never gave us a chance! You never even met me half way!" He screamed pushing her against the refrigerator a few more times as he hollered. He had lost it.

"What are you going to hit me, Paul? Are you going to kill my unborn baby like you killed ours? I will never forgive you for that!" Steph screamed back as she started crying as she grasped her pregnant abdomen almost like she was trying to shield her baby from his violent outburst the only way she could.

Her words were like daggers tearing and ripping at his heart. He closed his eyes and lowered his head like he was in physical pain. He removed his hands from her neck. She was now blaming the miscarriage on him. Did she really think that he wanted their unborn baby to die? Did Stephanie really think that he was that horrible of a husband and a father?

"That was an accident… I never wanted to hurt the baby or you…Can't we just have a fresh start? I know we can get through this if we love each other…" Paul muttered on the verge of tears. He slowly slumped to his knees on the kitchen floor; just like he had done on Thanksgiving at the McMahons' estate.

"There are no more fresh starts. I'm not in love with you anymore. I'm in love with Kurt and I want to have a fresh start with him, if he'll have me. Good bye, Paul." Stephanie whispered before she slowly walked out of the kitchen leaving her husband kneeling there in front of the refrigerator. His pleading didn't work this time. She had made the mistake once before of believing that she had to stay in the marriage for the sake of her young child.

When Paul heard the front door slam shut he rose to his feet and with all his might punched his right fist into the refrigerator door leaving a dent. It was the release of all the anger and hurt he had been trying to keep a lid on while he had his wife pinned up against the refrigerator. He was ashamed to admit it, but in his anger, he wished it would have been Stephanie's face that he had punched. That was terrible thing to think about your own wife and the mother of your child, but she had really hurt him.

Levesque had never expected to have the rug pulled out from under him when he had been riding so high as of late. Perhaps this was his returning karma for the bombshell he had to drop on Stephanie when she caught wind of his affair with Michelle. Still, Paul didn't think he deserved to be lied to for the past five months. If she really didn't love him, she wouldn't have come back. Her using the excuse of doing it for their child was complete bullshit. There was no way she had fallen out of love with him. The important thing was that she did come back to him, choosing her husband over Angle. Paul was chalking up the unexpected pregnancy with Kurt's kid as a reason for her separating from him. It was going to be only temporary, just until she could figure out what to do in her current predicament. He gave her no more than two months before she would come back home with Aurora. Their marriage wasn't ending; it had merely hit a speed bump.

Stephanie had already gotten herself and Aurora set up at her parents' house. While Paul was at SmackDown, her mother had come over to the house and helped her get some clothing together for the next few weeks. A quick phone call on her PDA was all she needed to report to her mother that she had confronted Paul and was on her way to Pittsburgh. She was nervous; even more so than just before breaking up with him on Thanksgiving. Her biggest fear was that Kurt wouldn't even talk to her and hear her out. She had broken his heart and caused such an imposition on his life. How was she even going to explain to him that she was carrying his child?

Before Steph knew it, she was in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania thanks to a quick jet flight. Stephanie was sitting up straight in the limo seat awaiting the driver to open her door. She had noticed cars in the driveway so she assumed Kurt was indeed at home. When the door opened, she slowly got out and began walking up the driveway.

Her walking pace quickly slowed when she saw Karen Angle walking briskly from the front door of the house with her matching designer purse on her shoulder. Karen was about to walk to her parked automobile when she saw Steph. Their eyes met only for a second before Karen's eyes shifted downward to Stephanie's pregnant abdomen which could be easily seen in the opening of her jacket. Steph knew she was staring right at the evidence of her affair with Kurt so she quickly pulled both sides of the jacket over her belly. This made Karen flash a look of disdain.

Did she know that the baby was Kurt's? Had she bought into the lie Paul had fed her? More importantly, why was she there? Karen had filed for divorce from him months ago. What if her and Kurt had reconciled? Stephanie felt sick to her stomach just thinking about the possibility of Karen and Kurt getting back together. Where would that leave her and most importantly, her unborn baby fathered by Kurt?


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Thirty-Nine

"Hi Karen…" Stephanie finally said after a few awkward seconds. She flashed a polite and kind smile in the hope that Karen would reciprocate.

"Stephanie…" Karen replied in an almost monotone voice as she gave a quick nod before moving to the other side of her car so that she could get in the driver seat. Her automobile quickly pulled out of the driveway, leaving Stephanie standing alone in the dark driveway.

Without wasting time, Steph traveled the illuminated pathway that led to the front porch. She took a deep breath and exhaled before pressing the doorbell button firmly with her finger. Here she was again, at Kurt Angle's doorstep. She thought back to the raining night she had stood there with Aurora in her arms hoping that he would take them in. He had provided her with sanctuary and a means of escape from her failing marriage. Stephanie remembered how gracious he had been and willing to let her into his home even though it was an unexpected visit. After the way she had ended things between them, she didn't think he would be happy to see her much less invite her into his house. Without warning, the front door swung open revealing Kurt in the door way.

"What now, Karen?" He asked obviously annoyed. His eyes widened when he realized it wasn't Karen but Stephanie on his front porch. As the look of surprise dissipated, it was followed by a look of resentment. The first thing that Stephanie noticed about his appearance was that he had gone a few days without shaving for it looked like he was starting to get a beard.

"Hello Kurt..." That was all that Steph could say to him. Inside, she wanted run into his arms and have him hold her and kiss her telling her that he still wanted to be with her. She wanted him to tell her that they had a chance for a future together.

"I thought you were Karen. She stopped by to get her alimony and the child support checks. What are you doing here, Stephanie?" Angle asked shrugging his shoulders and folded his arms. He wasn't showing any signs of a warm welcome for his former lover.

"We need to talk. Can I come in, please?"

She was looking directly into Kurt's blue eyes as she asked him to allow her access to his home. He looked a bit conflicted. It was obvious that he really had to think about whether or not he wanted to let her in. After a few seconds of silence, he slowly stepped aside giving her room to enter the front door. Once inside the house, Steph turned around to face him after he shut the door.

"Are you growing a beard? It looks good on you." Steph complimented him with a small smile.

"Does your husband know you're here? I don't think he would approve of you coming here, especially in your current state. I talked to Shane a few months ago when he was still trying to get me to make a WWE return. He told me about the pregnancy. Looks like things are going good between you and Paul. So that makes me wonder why you are here." Kurt said completely ignoring her comment about his facial hair and getting right down to business.

"I left Paul earlier today…" Steph replied as she began to massage her pregnant tummy with her right hand.

"Steph, I'm not doing this anymore. I told you when you walked out on me. I'm not going to be the guy you run to when shit goes wrong in your marriage. I'm not going to do it. I told you that I loved you and it's obvious you didn't feel the same way about me. I don't see any reason why you needed to come here in the middle of the night."

"That's what I need to talk to you about, Kurt. I want to be with you, not Paul. There's nothing for me in that marriage anymore. There's still a chance for us." Steph explained moving forward to where Angle was standing. She used her left hand to touch is arm.

"Yeah right, I'm sure you said the same thing to Levesque when we broke up. You need to leave, Stephanie. Seeing you again is just going to make it that much harder for me to let you go…harder than it already has been." Kurt replied moving away from her touch.

"But Kurt…" Steph muttered beginning to get teary eyed as she tried to move in again this time for a hug but he backed away.

"Please, just leave…" He said in a hoarse whisper looking away from her saddened gaze.

"Look, I can't apologize enough about walking out on you on Thanksgiving but I thought I was doing what was best. Not a day has gone by that I don't regret doing that."

"That's bullshit. If you loved me so much than why are you standing here pregnant with Paul Levesque's baby? Do you know how hard it is for me? Seeing the woman I love standing in front of me looking absolutely amazingly beautiful but married and pregnant with another man's child. I made it damn clear to Shane that I never wanted to come back to WWE. I never wanted to put myself in a position where I would have to see you again because I knew if I saw you, I would be haunted by what could have been between us…" Kurt whispered staring Stephanie down. It was the first time he was looking directly at her.

"Kurt, I want to do what's best for my unborn baby and what's best for him is to be with his father, the man I love." Stephanie replied wiping away a few cascading tears from her eye before they had a chance to trickle down the length of her face.

"So go ahead, I'm not stopping you! Stay with Paul, have twelve more kids besides that one if that's what's going to make you happy! Did you come here just to try and justify your decision to me? Don't worry; you don't have to worry about easing your conscious. Don't worry about me, I can find company elsewhere!" Kurt quickly retorted before he turned his back on Steph and began to walk toward the front door to let her leave.

"No, you don't understand, Kurt… Paul's not the baby's father…" She muttered through her tears. Her words caused Kurt to stop in his tracks. He stood still for a moment before he slowly turned around and looked at Steph with a look of complete surprise.

"This is what I've been trying to tell you. It's your baby, Kurt…" Steph told him in a hushed voice as she continued to cry.

"My baby? Are you sure it's mine?" Angle asked. His eyes were big and a smile had formed on his face.

"Yeah, I just had an amniocentesis and Paul was proven not to be his father. The days add up; when we were together and when the baby was conceived. I didn't know I was pregnant when I left you. If I knew we were going to have a child together, I wouldn't have been so worried about what I thought was in the best interest for Aurora." Stephanie confessed while Kurt began to slowly close the space between them.

"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant sooner?" Kurt asked looking a bit confused, narrowing his eyes. His eyes kept looking down at her pregnant belly and then back up to her eyes. It was like he was trying to process the fact that she was in fact five months pregnant with his child. A child that until a moment ago, he didn't even know was his.

"I wasn't completely one hundred percent sure you were the father and I wanted to wait for the amino to confirm it before I told you. I'm so sorry I put you through all of this. One of my biggest mistakes was leaving you in the first place." Steph cried as she brought her hands to his face. Her finger tips rested on his cheekbones.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't have been there for the past five months of the pregnancy. When Shane told me you were pregnant, I just assumed it was Paul's. If you would have just told me that there was a possibility it was mine, I would have been there for you. I still love you with all of my heart and soul, Stephanie."

"I love you too. I want us to be a family." Steph smiled through her tears of happiness. She took Kurt's hand and placed it on her pregnant abdomen where their unborn child laid. Paul had touched her pregnant stomach many times over the past five months but it never felt the way it did having Kurt's hand right where their baby had been kicking her.

Kurt smiled back at her while he caressed her tummy with his hand. Then slowly, he leaned in for a kiss which Stephanie quickly met with her lips. It started off soft and tender but quickly turned passionate. It was like time stood still for both of them. Both of them thought that the kiss the shared Thanksgiving night, the night she left him, would be the very last kiss they would ever share. This kiss was their way of bringing themselves back to where they were in their relationship before she went back to Paul. When they finally broke their lip lock, Stephanie followed up with a few more pecks to his lips before Kurt's kisses trailed down her neck, chest, and then down to her covered extended abdomen. Tears were still present on her face as Kurt stood back up. He took his hand and gently wiped them away before bringing her into a hug.

"I want us to be a family too; you, me, Aurora, and our baby. Where is Aurora?" Angle asked before releasing the hug so that he could look into his love's eyes while still holding her close.

"She's with my parents. With everything that has transpiring today between all of us, I thought it would be best that she stay with my mom and dad."

"Yeah that was a good idea. We'll go get her tomorrow though. She should be with us." Kurt quickly replied holding Steph in his arms.

"She needs to stay in Connecticut for right now. I'm going to have to talk with a divorce lawyer. I don't know if taking Aurora out of the state will be the right thing to do going into the divorce proceedings. I can stay here with you tonight but then I need to go back and take care of my daughter." Stephanie explained as she laid her head on his broad shoulder and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck.

"I hate that we all can't be together right now but I understand why you have to go back. I have to be in Florida next week anyway for the Impact! tapings. I've got an NJPW show this weekend so I'm not going to be able to be with you until the following weekend." Kurt confessed rubbing her back with his hands.

"Well we better make the most of tonight then…" Steph replied with a smile ran her hand up Kurt's t-shirt, tracing her fingertips over his abs.

Angle returned her loving gaze and was quick to understand just exactly what Stephanie was after. He wanted it too. They matched each other's passion and desire with an unbridled kiss. Angle's fingers quickly forced her coat off letting it drop to the floor before he grabbed hold of her shirt and pulled it over her head and she in turn did the same to him. He smiled again pulling Steph close to him so that her bare pregnant abdomen was firmly pressed against his lower abs putting their unborn baby as close as he possibly could between them.

"Let's go to bed…" Kurt whispered into Stephanie's ear after he skillfully undid her bra with one hand. She smiled and nodded following him up the stairs to the master bedroom.

"I can't believe this is happening! I come home right after my match on SmackDown and she blind sides me with this bullshit how she wants a divorce and is going to be with Kurt Angle if he'll take her back! She left; she cleaned out most of her and Aurora's clothes!" Paul hollered into his cell phone as he paced in his master bedroom.

"All right, calm down. You have to be level headed about this, Paul. If you fly off the handle, you really will lose Stephanie forever. Think about Aurora, she's going to need you more than ever if you're heading into a divorce." Shawn replied trying his best to provide good sound advice t o his friend in crisis.

"You know, part of me wants to say 'Fuck it, the two of them deserve each other.'!"

"Do you want to end the marriage?"

"No, I don't. God help me, I still love her. I mean, I want us to be a family again. Aurora deserves that I so do I. I've worked too damn hard on his marriage not to stay married into the McMahon family. Can you imagine where I'll be if I go ahead with her request for a divorce? Being moved to SmackDown will just be the beginning. I can't let that happen to Triple H." Levesque explained.

"You can't think about that. Your child is the most important thing that came out of your marriage to Stephanie; not championship title reigns but Aurora. You need to think about what's best for her. If you and Steph are no longer able to provide Aurora with a happy healthy home together than it is best that the two of you divorce so that you can be better parents separate." Michaels told his friend.

"How am I going to be a better parent to my child if Stephanie wants to raise her with Angle? Stephanie and Aurora don't belong with him, they belong with me! That's my wife and daughter!"

"Paul, you know there's nothing you can do to make Stephanie want to stay married to you. You can't make someone stay in love with you. I'm telling you this as your friend and because I care about you. If you love Steph, you need to let her go." Shawn told him.

Levesque closed his eyes and allowed himself to plop down on the edge of the king size bed. He took a deep breath and held it in. That was the last thing he wanted to hear from his best friend. Shawn was always giving him wisdom being the older friend. He knew that he wasn't giving him bad advice. He just didn't know if he could accept it.

"I don't know if I can let her go…"


	40. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer: All the events and character description taken place in this story is COMPLETELY FICTION. No copyright infringement intended. All characters are copy written to their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story. It should be viewed only as entertainment.**

Chapter Forty

_Three months later…_

"And he finally arrives." Stephanie commented watching her husband enter the room. The appointment was scheduled for ten in the morning and Paul was just arriving at ten forty.

"What the hell is he doing there? This has nothing to do with him! He has no business being here!" Levesque hollered before he even sat down in his designated chair a foot or so from where Steph was seated. Paul was pointing at Kurt Angle who was sitting in a chair on the other side of Stephanie.

"He's my fiancé and is here to provide me with emotional support." She quickly replied placing her hand on Angle's lap giving him a quick smile before she looked back over at her husband that was finally getting seated.

"If we could begin now, I would like to go over the proposed settlement before we tie everything up today. The first and most important component of the divorce is the custody of your two year old child, Aurora Rose Levesque. As it is written here, the two of you will have joint custody of her with her with Stephanie having primary custody. Is that correct?" The lawyer asked looking up from his typed document.

"Yes, that's what we agreed upon. Paul can see his daughter anytime he wants to but Aurora is mainly going to be with me and Kurt." Steph explained laying out her plan for Aurora's living arrangements.

"Damn right I can see her anytime I want, she's my daughter. We're going to have to work out scheduled time that I can be with her; like every weekend or something. She needs to be with me." Levesque answered back looking over at Steph.

"Well the scheduling of the joint custody is left up to you, the only thing we need to do here is agree upon this form of custody so we can get things wrapped up here. So if you are both in agreement on her daughter's custody, let's move on to the liquidation of your common assets starting with the home in Greenwich Connecticut." The lawyer said.

"Paul, you can have the house if you want it. You're gym and everything is in it, you should keep it." Stephanie told her husband.

"It's not home unless you and Aurora are living in it with me." Levesque muttered looking over at her.

"Well then it is best that we sell it. Kurt and I have already purchased homes in Connecticut and Pennsylvania."

"You sure didn't waste time, did you?" Paul said with a sneer before shaking his head and motioning the lawyer to continue.

"And the deluxe tour the two of you agreed to liquidate." The lawyer read aloud off the list after one of his clients requested that he move on to the next topic.

"Now that's stupid, we had custom built for us. You should keep it."

"Kurt and I would rather purchase our own bus."

"Oh naturally, that's what you're into now: new husband, new baby. Out with the old, in with the new, right Steph?" Paul asked; the volume of his voice increasing dramatically while he allowed his feelings to come pouring out right there in the lawyer's office.

"Please, let's try and stay on topic so that we can continue." The lawyer told Paul interjecting before Stephanie even had a chance to reply. Levesque silently rubbed his eyes with his hands before looking over at Steph and Kurt. Angle's arm was around her while his other hand was placed on her pregnant belly. He hated seeing them together and in love.

Stephanie gently laid her head on Kurt's shoulder. She was so glad to have him there with her. It was very uncomfortable for her to be in the same room as Paul. She could feel his eyes casting on her. He was obviously still hurt about how things ended between them; still upset that her unborn child wasn't his. He had taken every opportunity he could to drag the divorce out over the past three months. Now she and Angle were going to have to get married during the last two months of her pregnancy. Oh well, at least after today, she would be officially divorced from Paul Levesque and free to move on with the rest of her life. He had put her through the hardest year of her life and all she wanted to do was forget it.

"Can we just get this over with and finalize the damn thing like she wants?" Paul asked the lawyer readjusting himself in the chair he was seated in.

"Okay, if everyone agrees to the terms listed in the divorce document, both of you can go ahead and sign and initial it."

"Can I use your pen? Thank you." Steph requested giving the lawyer a polite smile. Kurt watched her sign and initial the document while he rubbed her lower back with his thumb.

With a few strokes of a pen, Steph was ending their almost five year marriage. She was acting like it wasn't a big deal; like what she was signing wasn't even important. He wanted to get up and leave, staying married to her. He was being forced to give up his wife and allow Angle to take his place as her husband.

"Mr. Levesque?" The lawyer said breaking Paul out of his train of thought. He was signaling that it was now his turn to sign. Everyone in the room was waiting for him to do so.

Levesque looked over at Steph hoping and wishing that something in her face would say not to go through with it. But her face looked indifferent. After a few awkward moments of eye contact, she gave him a shrug as an unspoken way to tell him to sign the papers. As the pen slowly began to make the ink strokes of his signature, all Paul could think about was what he was losing. As he finished signing his signature on the very last page, he felt like he had been socked hard in the stomach. It was over. The divorce was sealed.

"Mr. Levesque, I'm sorry but you're going to have to leave. I have my next clients coming in right now." The lawyer told Paul after watching him sit devastated in his seat after his now ex-wife and her fiancé left a few moments ago without a backward glance.

Slowly, Paul got to his feet and walked out of the office. It was when he reached the parking lot that he had wished that he would have stayed in the building just a little bit longer before walking outside. He kept himself in the outside corridor to have shelter from the rain as he looked on. There was the sickening sight of Stephanie and Angle. He was playing the 'oh so perfect' future husband as he held an umbrella over Steph as she did her pregnant waddle to the white Escalade not too far away. And then, when the two reached the car, Kurt opened the passenger door for her and helped her climb in. Was Stephanie that naïve to think that Kurt Angle was going to be the perfect husband that measured up to every aspect that he didn't? She was certainly setting herself up for disappointment.

Paul felt himself cringe as he watched her pull in Angle for an impromptu passionate kiss before he closed the door. She used to kiss him like that. He was the love of her life, not Angle. Why couldn't she see that? How could he make her see that? If this sappy scene wasn't bad enough, Kurt took it to another level when he raised his hand slightly as his way of saying goodbye with a slight smile after he saw Paul on his way around the back of the car to the driver side. That son of a bitch was being passive aggressive. Kurt wasn't being nice like Steph made him out to be, that smirk on his face was his way of saying that he now had Stephanie and Paul didn't.

As Paul watched the white Escalade pull drive away, he felt like a part of him had died with the end of his marriage. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He was destined to be Stephanie's husband and she his wife. What kind of God would make the woman he loved not see that they belonged together? She had taken a vow to him after all. It was supposed to be for better or for worse. Levesque didn't even care about the fact that Steph was having Angle's baby anymore. At that moment, as he watched the Escalade get smaller and smaller in the distance, Paul Levesque vowed to do whatever it took to once again be with Steph. What was it going to take to get things back to good?

_Author's Notes: I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read Where Love Lies. I appreciate each and every wonderful review that was bestowed upon me for all forty chapters of this fic. I hope all of you follow me as I soon embark on writing the sequel, Back To Good. I will have a link to the preview video on my profile for those who are interested in getting a preview of the sequel. I plan on starting the second installment ASAP after I do some work on my Kody/Aurora series that has been taking a back seat to Where Love Lies. Thanks again for all the support you readers have given me. I hope you enjoyed this fic and that you will review and comment both this chapter and the fic as a whole. Thank you._


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